Vegan Black Bean Soup

it's been a very mellow day...the temperature is hoovering around 0 degrees (a heat wave, compared to the -40 week we had)...i stayed home most of the day but had to drop off and pick up kids from school....i was able to do my yoga x (i am currently in the middle of doing my first round of p90x) and bake and cook....i made some red curry for dinner, and attempted to make a soft, fluffy, light, gluten free lemon/apple cake.....it did not come close to soft or light....sigh.....i will keep on keeping on.....

one of the most difficult things about making food for my family has always been the question "what should i make for dinner?"....breakfast is easy...savory or sweet? lunch has a way of doing it's self....but dinner usually has it's expectations...lol....i used to think what am i going to make...i don't anymore...well, it's not that i don't ask myself that, anymore. it's that i ask "what do i have in the fridge that needs to be used?" this has changed how i cook. it's not stressful to come up with something, anymore.....so if i see a gorgeous produce in the the organic section..i buy it and come up with something to make out of it (i love to juice veggies). i also have bulk bins with beans (black, white, and garbanzo) for meals....i prefer to have them dry, they store better, do not have bpa.....and are very convenient....it wasn't too long ago that i couldn't even tell you how to prepare beans (they come in a can right?). but times have changed. the only issue with dry beans is that you actually have to have the foresight to plan a meal with them the following day, because soaking helps break down the outer shell protection that is hard to digest (aka gas!).  i decided to make another soup this week using black beans and great northern(white). it came out great, but toby and i had quite the experience jumping around and doing our cardio after beans (never again)...

i made this soup without any tomatoes (but you can add them, half the water and add a can of diced tomatoes) because i get terrible acid reflux from tomatoes (i refuse to stop eating them).... this is a great, thick, warm, satisfying soup....with lots of great flavor..here's how to make it

Vegan Black Bean Fiesta Soup

 2-4 cups of water (or veggie broth)
1 medium onion
2 cans of black beans or 2c of black beans
1c of great northern beans (or just add another cup or two of black beans, i just like the color contrast)
1 colored pepper (red or orange....optional)
1 carrot sliced
1 garlic clove (i use my garlic press)
2T of olive oil
2 celery stalks
1/2t of cilantro (the only recipe that i can actually tolerate cilantro)
1/2t of oregano
a few fresh sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2t chili
1/2t of cumin

salt and pepper to taste


warm up a skillet then stick the diced onion and oil together...add sprigs of thyme and bay leaves.....as the onions start to soften...add diced celery....and let cook  some more....go ahead and add all the spices....i prefer to let the spices mingle in the beginning....add carrots and peppers and garlic....then add the water or broth (i made my own broth, you can also use some of the water from cooking the beans....) and finally add the beans....bring soup to boil and let simmer for 30 minutes this is when the salt and pepper are adjusted and tasted.....as the soup cools i add half the mixture in my vita mix (blender would work just fine) and blend away....i get a creamy, but still lumpy soup...... top off with tomatoes and jalapenos.....enjoy!

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