Cold Days need Warm Soups!

January 21, 2015

Today is a dreary day.  It's grey outside and the trees look cold without their leaves and it is snowing.  It's quiet and I'm shivering even though the heater is on and it really is quite cozy in the house.  My mom to the rescue with this amazing Mexican Bean Soup!

While she is visiting she has resolved to help me through GTLF.  Not only because they're colorful and fun to make, but because I feel a real urgency to obtain a reasonable, healthy weight without suffering through a tedious diet; and she said she doesn't want to "sabotage" me.  GTLF provides such delicious foods that my parents are willing to commit to them while they are here which will help me stay on a healthy track.  Have I mentioned yet that I've been doing this a little over a year now and have lost nearly 25 pounds! The holidays are over and I was able to maintain my weight loss and did not start the year with a weight deficit?  I'm confident that moving through these recipes I'll be able to reach all my weight loss and healthy eating goals.

Mexican Bean Soup with Tortillas

GTLF: vegetables p 32

serves 4, working time 25 minutes, total time 45 minutes

Four 6 in. corn tortillas quartered

2 tsp olive oil

8 scallions, sliced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 pickled or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

14 1/2 oz. can no salt added stewed tomatoes, chopped with their juices

two 16 oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth defatted

3/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the tortilla quarters on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly crisp. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the scallions are tender, about 4 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and chili powder and cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper is tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the beans, broth, 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of the cilantro, and the salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the flavors have developed about 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.  Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 C cilantro over, place the tortilla quarters on top, and serve.

Nutritional information: 4 g fat, 264 calories, 0.5 g sat. fat, 46 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 0 mg. cholesterol, 962 mg sodium.

Tips:

1. GTLF suggests to use reduced sodium vegetable broth if you'd like it completely vegetarian.

2. GTLF suggests that if there are left overs, these can be pureed for bean dip.

3. Our soup came out to look like there was more broth than in the picture from GTLF.  I've noticed the broth issue is difficult to get right.  When you're working with the GTLF recipes, if I'm patient and let things warm and simmer at the proper rates and times, then the broth comes out pretty close to the picture... but if I hurry through one of those steps I end up with a dry soup (I sped through the warm up and simmer process) or with too much broth (I didn't let the soup simmer long enough).... I've decided it's practice.