SOUPS

Have you ever tried something that was almost good?  I have… plenty of times.

A few days back hubby and I stopped by Whole Foods to grab some pistachios, and we wandered into their soup-bar section.  Some of the smells were amazing, while others just borderline so.  I finally made my way to a pot of Adobo Black Bean Soup.  It smelt divine. I got a small taste of it (don’t worry, they have special tiny cups for that ), and it still impressed me.  I wanted some! But I was not going to pay $4.00 for a small cup!

That day I ended up making potato/veggie soup at home, but my taste buds still wanted Black Bean soup.  So, the day after, immediately after my two-hour work out, I headed to the Whole Foods. $4.00 later I was munching on a small cup of soup.  However, the more I had of it, the more I was turned off by the sweetness in it–reading the ingredients on the label said it all: molasses and sugar=YUCK!

I NEVER liked adding sugar to soups.  That should be illegal.  And there was nothing that I could do to drown out the sweetness in this soup either, not to mention that I was not at risk of experiencing a “gas attack” [any time high fiber food, such as beans, is combined with simple sugars, such an outcome is unavoidable!].  The soup was also a bit too spicy for my taste buds.

The predicament prompted me to want to fix the problem–like everything else I encounter in my life that is almost good.  I took a look at the list of their ingredients, from which I made my own list and went shopping.  Mind you, this was the first time in the last 4.5 weeks that I even had a desire to cook–VICTORY!!!

Three hours later a masterpiece was born! It is DELICIOUS! And it is perfect without any sugary additives.  So, for your indulgence and mine, here is the…

Vegan Black Bean Soup Recipe

Makes about 4 quarts [16 cups] of soup

Ingredients

1. 4 cups black beans
2. 12 cups water
3. 2 bay leaves*
4. 28 oz crushed tomatoes, jarred or canned
5. 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
6. 1.5-2 tbsp Himalayan sea salt [or to taste]
7. 1/2-1 tbsp chili powder [depending on how much heat you want]
8. 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
9. 3 tbsp cumin powder
10. 3 tbsp olive oil
11. 2 carrots, finely chopped
12. 4 springs of green onions, including white parts, finely chopped
13. 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
14. 4-5 stalks of celery, finely chopped
15. 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
16. 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Preparation

1. Pre-soak beans overnight and rinse before cooking.  If you don’t have time to pre-soak them, it will increase cooking time, but make sure to wash them thoroughly before cooking as well.
2. Place beans into 10 cups of water, in a pot, along with salt and bay leaves and bring to boil.
3. Cook until tender, almost falling apart [pre-soaked beans cooking time might be 60-90 mins, while unsoaked beans will take 2-2.5 hrs to get there]
4. Add tomatoes [if you do not like tomato acidity, alternatively use 14-16 oz can of crushed tomatoes and the rest substitute with water], and remaning 2 cups of water.
5. Add: soy sauce, salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper and cumin powder, and continue cooking.
6. Meanwhile, preheat a skillet on medium heat, add oil and remaining ingredients: onions, carrots, celery and bell pepper. Bring to medium-high heat, saute, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, reduce heat to medium and saute for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove ingredients from the skillet and add to boiling soup.  Bring everything to boil, add cilantro.  Cover, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.
8. Enjoy! Soup is at it’s best after sitting for a few hours or overnight, and when served with whole wheat homemade bread, and possibly a spoonful of vegan sour cream.  Mmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!  GOOD!

*pre-soaking, boiling beans with bay leaves, and removing white foam off the top, while boiling occurs–all reduces the “gas” effect of beans. 

If you make the soup, and you should , let me know what you think.  Adjust ingredient quantities as needed.

Bone Appetite!

Cookware: I cook my meals in my favorite World’s Finest 7-ply cookware set. Compare it to compatible products sold at only private demos (I have been to those too!) that would cost you thousands of dollars more.  This is a winner!  I’ve had it for about 7 years now and love it!