Hearty Black Bean Soup

I wanted to try a black bean soup in the Crockpot.  This recipe is a little spicy, but a great way to warm up on a cold winter day.  I served the soup with a grilled cheese quesadilla, plain greek yogurt (in place of sour cream), and chunky tomato salsa. As a garnish for the soup, I added a dollop of greek yogurt and sliced green onions. To make the quesadilla, I coated a frying pan with Pam cooking spray and grilled 1 whole wheat tortilla to which I added 1/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese, 1 TBS corn, 1 TBS chopped green onions, and 1/2 chopped slice of a cooked vege bacon strip.  As pictured, this meal is approximately 337 calories.  The soup has about 107 calories per serving. 

Hearty Black Bean Soup

3 medium carrots or 18 baby carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped onions

4 garlic cloves minced

1 can (30 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken or vegetable broth

1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis (10 ounces)

2 tsp. dried basil

3/4 tsp. oregano

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco Pepper Sauce, adjust to taste)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Cilantro

juice of 1/2 of a fresh lime

Chop the carrots, celery and onions.

I used my Kitchen Aid mini chopper for the fresh cilantro as this was easier than trying to hand chop it myself.

For the fresh lime juice I used a hand juicer which worked great.

Combine all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Yields approximately 8 servings at 107 calories.