Spicy Black Bean Soup

As I am sure you have found by now I don’t just like to throw up some of my favorite recipes I also like to explain a bit more about the food or spices used in each meal. I have found myself looking more and more at black beans over the more traditional (at least in the Eastern half of the US) red beans or kidney beans. In the western and southwestern regions of the US, black beans have a long and rich history with much of this cuisine influenced by the Native Americans and those from south of the border.

In Latin cultures black beans have long been a primary protein-rich staple food. Also known as frijoles negros, turtle beans and caviar criollo, black beans have a recorded history of at least 7,000 years. Some of the earliest reports of their use were as a central ingredient in the diets of Central and South Americans.

An inexpensive source of protein, black beans have a rich flavor, with a smooth texture that doesn’t break down during cooking. When combined with brown rice, black beans become an almost super protein that is comparable to the protein found in meat and dairy foods but without the high calories or saturated fat.

Now for those that are always searching for high antioxidant foods — researchers from Michigan State University analyzed a variety of beans, and reported that, the darker the bean’s outer shell, the higher its antioxidant levels. So ounce for ounce, black beans had the highest antioxidant activity of all beans and had almost 10 times the antioxidant levels found in an equal amount of oranges.

So great – an almost super food that is ideal for those watching their weight and packed with health benefits. But best of all — they taste great.

This spicy black bean soup recipe packs a little heat and tons of flavor. Now I didn’t add rice to this dish but instead loaded up additional protein from Andouille sausage. I also didn’t go all healthy on this one as I decided to skip the chicken Andouille and went for the more authentic pork style instead. Sometimes you just have to splurge!

Healthy, Quick & Easy and Huge Flavor!

What You’ll Need

½ Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
½ Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
1 Yellow Onion (chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (diced fine or minced)
1 Celery Stalk
2 Carrots
1 Fresh Jalapeno (chopped fine)
2 Dried New Mexico Chiles
1-1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Juice from 1 Fresh Lime
1 Can of Cooked Black Beans
1 Can of No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
6 Slices of Cooked Turkey Bacon
2 Andouille Sausages (Pork or Chicken)
½ Tbsp of Cumin

What to Do

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet, when done remove from skillet but leave any drippings
Cut the andouille into spices or chunks
Heat the andouille in the same skillet, since this is really ready to eat already you only need about 3-4 minutes
Remove the andouille from the skillet and set to the side
Either chop the dried New Mexico chiles very small or tear into small pieces
Heat the New Mexico chiles in the skillet for 2-3 minutes (until you can smell the fragrance – be sure not to burn)
Add the bell peppers, onions, garlic jalapeno and celery to the skillet (with the chiles) and sauté until translucent
Add the cooked andouille, black beans, diced tomatoes, broth and cumin to the skillet and bring to a boil (about 2-3 minutes)
Once it has started to boil turn down to simmer, cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes so that the ingredients marry well
Chop the turkey bacon up into roughly ¼” pieces
Remove the skillet and add into bowls, squeeze lime juice over the soup (once in the bowl), top with bacon and serve