Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Welcome to Day 2 of Soup Week! Today I'm going to share my version of Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. I started off thinking I could copy Panera's version, but I never tasted it myself. Hence, I can't replicate it at home exactly, so I came up with the next best thing. I've never made this kind of soup before as my family didn't particularly care for beans. But as my kids got older, and willing to try new things, I've been slowly incorporating them more into our diet. 

This Vegetarian Black Bean Soup was wonderful! In fact, I was afraid the family wouldn't like it so I only made a small batch. I was pleasantly surprised when after initially tasting some, they were disappointed that there wasn't any more left. If you like your soup a little on the "hotter" side, you can adjust how much chili powder you use. I prefer my food on the  mild side; however,  my eldest daughter would have liked it with a bit more heat. The way I look at it is you can always add more, but it's difficult to fix if there is too much. 

Bean soups in general are healthy for you and this version is no exception which is high in fiber, iron and vitamins C and B6. Beans also tend to fill you up more and keep you satisfied longer. I'll definitely be making this soup again, that is once my family gets past Soup Week. Even they get tired of eating soup every night for dinner....I guess I better get back in the kitchen to whip up some regular meals. Until then~Enjoy! 

Vegetarian Black Bean
Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 30 minutes     Serves: 4 (1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 c. Green Peppers, chopped
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
• 4 c. Vegetable Broth (I used Organic)
• 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1- 15 (ounce) Can Black Beans, rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in medium sized saucepan; then add the peppers, onions, celery and garlic. 
2. Saute 2-3 minutes until vegetables start to soften; then add the vegetable broth, chili powder and black beans. 
3. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 
4. Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. (If you do not have an immersion blender, pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth.)

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 140, Carbs 23.8g, Fat 4g, Protein 6.2g, Fiber 6.5g, Sugar 3.4g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Here are some more soup recipes you may like to try!  

Mexican Beer Cheese Soup

Creamy Asian Root Vegetable Soup

Mushroom Barley Soup

Giveaway Reminder...

Because I use (and love)! my immersion blender; especially when making soups, I wanted to give one lucky reader the chance to win their very own KitchenAid 2-Speed Hand Blender in Contour Silver during SOUP WEEK. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter link below. Winner will be selected on Monday, January 20, 2014 and will have 48 hours to respond. GOOD LUCK and don't forget to tune in each day this week as I'm sharing a new soup recipe each day.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: Contest valid 1/13/14-1/19/14 for U.S. residents only. This is not a sponsored post. Product was purchased by me and all opinions about KitchenAid products are my own.