Nutritious AND Delicious.

2/23/2011 *Sara-Marie* 0 Comments

One of my favorite ways to ensure I keep on my healthy eating regime all week long is to make a big batch of yummy (yet healthy!) soup on Sundays and then eat it for lunch (and sometimes dinner!) throughout the rest of the week. It not only saves time and calories, but also money!

This week I made a “Spicy Black Bean Soup” that I found on Weight Watchers.com a few weeks back. Of course I added my own seasonings to enhance the recipe a bit, and it has really been hitting the spot! It’s so filling and a ¾ cup serving is only 3 PointsPlus points. Nice. I’ve also been pairing it with a side of Minute Brown Rice (4 Pts) and a tbsp of 50% reduced fat Cabot Cheddar Cheese (1 Pt). Delish.

The soup is low in fat, HIGH in fiber and protein. Plus each day I eat it, it has also been getting a little bit spicier! And there is evidence that show that spices can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal. WOOT. I can use all the help I can get!

I know, you’re thinking: Please S-M, please give us the recipe! So, for all of you cooks out there here is the recipe (foundation of the recipe from WW.com) with my tweaks:

SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP

Ingredients:

1-3 Sprays of Cooking Spray

1 medium onion (or about half cup of frozen diced onions – that’s what I used)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 Cans of Goya “Low Sodium” Black Beans, undrained

½ tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 packet of Sazon Goya

1 packet of Goya Ham Concentrate Seasoning

1 heaping tablespoon of Sofrito*

1 ½ cups of fat free broth (chicken, vegetable or beef) –use more if you want a thinner soup

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis (about 15 oz)

1 can of sweet yellow corn, drained (about 15 oz)

*Sofrito is a Puerto Rican blend of cilantro, peppers, onions and garlic. We puree the ingredients in huge batches, freeze and then use in every day cooking as needed.

Directions:

1.) Coat bottom of a large stockpot with cooking spray. Heat to medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, cumin seeds, sofrito, Sazon and ham flavorings. Saute another 1-2 minutes.

2.) Add broth.

3.) While the broth is heating in the pan with the sautéed mixture, take one can of beans and blend on high until smooth. (Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender). Add blended beans to stockpot and mix.

4.) Repeat step 3 with second can of beans.

5.) Stir third can of beans directly into the stock pot (DO NOT BLEND). Add diced tomatoes w/ green chilies and corn. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with some fresh cilantro or a tbsp of reduced fat cheddar cheese!

ENJOY!

XOXO