photos by Lighter
Simple Black Bean Soup – any recipe that includes the word “simple” is a lovely thing, don’t you think?
In this week’s newsletter, we talked about the power of keeping things simple. In the world we live in, maintaining simplicity is quite a feat. Traffic is complicated, taxes are complicated, layers of socks and sweaters and coats are complicated. With multiple remotes and triple digit channels, even watching TV is complicated. These complexities wear us out, making the simplest things – like the very basic act of feeding ourselves – too much to endure at the end of long day. Guess what? Feeding yourself doesn’t have to be complicated, and this soup is proof of that.
This Simple Black Bean Soup will take you right back to the basics: warmth, comfort, nourishment. Dinner doesn’t have to be a drama. If you can navigate that fancy TV remote, you can definitely whip up this simple soup.
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly minced
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ cup cilantro, packed
- 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
- nutritional yeast
- cayenne
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of water (enough to cover the bottom of the pot) the garlic, and the onion. Stir constantly until onions begin to soften.
- Just as the onions begin to stick, add the cumin, paprika, cayenne (if using), black beans, and tomatoes. Stir. Add 3 cups water and bring soup to a simmer. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and fold in cilantro (if using). With an immersion blender, puree soup to desired consistency, adding splashes of water needed to thin it out. Alternatively, transfer soup to a blender and puree or leave soup as is!
- Serve in bowls with a squeeze of lime and nutritional yeast.
One of my husband’s favorites. He loves the hint of lime! Another home run, PEM team!!
Would love to try this – but could someone who has made this recipe using dried beans please comment/reply with an estimate of an appropriate quantity to start with? Would 250 grams be about right? Thanks 🙂
Hi Andy! Yes, 200-250 is about right!