This is a great soup for our cold Montana winters. Loaded with spices, it will make your taste buds sing! Each serving has over 15 grams of fiber and is loaded with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties – all for only 400 calories per serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry black beans, or 3 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 10 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried cumin
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 cup of chopped bok choy
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, steamed and cubed (steam for about 10 minutes)
- Black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste
Toppings
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Salsa of choice
Method
- If using dry beans, soak for at least 4 hours. Make sure the beans are covered with at least an inch of water. Place the soaked beans in a soup pot with water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 75 minutes or until beans are tender. (If using canned beans, skip this step.)
- In a separate pan, stir-fry the onions, half the garlic, cumin and carrots until tender. Add bok choy, the remaining garlic, and bell pepper. Stir-fry another 10-15 minutes until everything is tender.
- Combine the vegetables from step 2 with the beans. Stir in the orange juice, diced tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Add black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Remove some or all of the soup and puree in a blender. This will make the soup creamy. The more you puree, the creamier the texture.
- Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve topped with green onions, cilantro and salsa.
Adapted from Caldwell Esselstyn's “Reversing Heart Disease."