Spicy Black Bean Soup

We’re constantly hounded to eat more vegetables!  But how??? Eat more peppers!

How, might you ask, can I eat more peppers without getting sick of them?  There’s lots of ways to incorporate peppers into foods.

Here are just a few ideas….the possibilities are endless!!!!

·         Top a baked potato

·         Add slices to a burger

·         Make a homemade salsa

·         Mix in guacamole or chip dip

·        Stuff and bake bell peppers for a main dish

·         Add to kabobs

·         Roast peppers and tomatoes then blend with cilantro and garlic and use as a chicken marinade

·         Add to barbecue sauce

·         Mix in a quinoa or rice dish

·         Make jalapeno jelly (it’s surprisingly very mild!)

·         Add to chili, soups and stews

Sometimes people avoid peppers because they don’t want to start their mouth on “fire”.  If a pepper or chili is just too hot for you then add milk, a starch or potato, or even a spoonful of sugar.  They will adhere to the capsaicin (what makes peppers hot) and douse the fire.

Mild	Medium	Hot
Bell Pepper, Banana Pepper, Pimento, Pepperoncini, Cubanelle	Anaheim, Poblano, Jalapeno, Serrano, New Mexican, Hungarian Wax, Chipotle	Habanero Chili, Jamaican, Ghost Pepper, Chiltepin, Datil

This week’s black bean soup provides a good source of fiber and protein from the beans.  This soup also contains three different types of peppers; bell, jalapeno and Anaheim.  Peppers are packed with nutrients that are great for you!  They are full of the antioxidants Vitamins A & C, carotenoids like lycopene that could help protect your heart, potassium, and fiber. 

Spicy Black Bean

Yield: 2 quarts

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups  black beans, cooked
4 1/2 cup vegetable broth
16 ounces diced tomatoes*
4 oz. Anaheim peppers*
1 1/2 cups frozen corn 
1/4 cup cilantro 

Heat oil in a stock pot. Sauté onion and peppers in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes and chopped green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Add cilantro and cook 5 minutes longer. At this point, if you need more liquid, add a little more broth. Remove from heat.

*Can use fresh, frozen or canned.