Black Bean and Corn Soup

March 3, 2015

It's so refreshing to experience a different king of soup then the ones you repeat over and over again because it's the one you have memorized or a technique you have memorized and therefore, easy to fall back on. One great thing about choosing a recipe book, or set of books and then going through them carefully one by one, is that you really learn the "how" of cooking... which will eventually enable you to cook on your own and create your own recipes. What I've typically done is memorize a particular recipe and then just repeat it over and over. This is fine, but it becomes boring.

Brian felt that this recipe was an excellent addition to the soup repertoire I already have. It's not too difficult since one only has to cut onions and bell peppers. However, you do require a food processor. In this case, the job is most appropriate for the giant food processor. The directions require you to puree FOUR cups of the soup at once. Here are the details to create this delicious soup.

Black Bean and Corn Soup

GTLF: Vegetable p. 50

Serves 4, working time 20 min., total time 35 minutes

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 tablespoons dry sherry

Three 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste

2 C reduced sodium chicken broth de fatted or vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C frozen corn kernels

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 7 min. Stir in the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper is softened, about 5 min.

2. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the beans and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, 2 C of water, the oregano, cumin and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the flavors have developed, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer 4 C of the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the mixture in the pan and stir to blend. Stir in the corn and cook until the corn is just warmed through, about 4 minutes. Stir in half of the scallions. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls, sprinkle the remaining scallions over, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 4 g fat, 282 calories, 0.5 sat. fat, 44g carbohydrate, 16 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 996 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. Brian feels that this soup "looks heavy, but feels light". I agree. It's another opportunity to trick your brain into thinking that you're eating more food than you actually are.

2. GTLF suggests that if you have time you can buy dry beans and make them. They will be firmer.

3. GTLF suggests that you can accompany this dish with corn bread or serve over rice. Brian and I enjoyed this dish over rice. Just remember, whatever you choose you should adjust for the calorie count. In my case, adding 1/4 C cooked Jasmine rice adds approximately another 200 calories to this dish.