Showing posts with label black bean soup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black bean soup. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2016
A QUICK, SPICY FULL-MEAL BLACK BEAN AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
You might have noticed that I haven't been posting much for the last few months. Since I retired from the library where I worked for 36 years, I have been slowly trying to weed out my belongings and re-organize the storage in our small house-- particularly in my office, closets and the kitchen. So, that has kept me busy. But, aside from that, my husband and I are striving to eat less and to eat more simply-- not just because of reduced income, but also because we are getting older and need to keep an eye on our health. We are both well and active, but need to lose some weight.
Consequently, we eat homemade soup almost every day for lunch (sometimes we switch it up and have soup for dinner and a more substantial meal at lunchtime). We also eat bean dishes frequently. The following recipe is a variation on one that I wrote for the 1st (2008) issue of Dr. Neal Bernard's Program for Reversing Diabetes (I developed almost all of the recipes in that book.-- all virtually fat-free, low in sodium, high-fiber, vegan.) It has remained a favorite over the years and is so easy to make. (I cook my own beans of various kinds and freeze them in 2-cup quantities.) I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S QUICK, SPICY FULL-MEAL BLACK BEAN & SWEET POTATO SOUP (Very low in fat)
Servings: 6
The combination of black beans and sweet potatoes is always enticing, but especially so in this soup with Caribbean flavors.
4 cups cooked or canned (2/ 19 ounce cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cup tasty vegetarian broth
4 tsp tomato paste
3/4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce/tamari
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic granules
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 bay leaf
1 Chipotle vegan sausage, crumbled (or use a large vegan Italian sausage and add some Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste)-- I prefer Field Roast
4-6 green onions, chopped
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
Mix together the beans, broth, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, garlic granules, allspice, and thyme in a blender or food processor. Puree briefly. (You can also do this inside the soup pot with a hand immersion blender.) Pour into a medium-sized pot.
Add the bay leaf, crumbled vegan sausage, green onions, and sweet potato. Bring to a boil, stirring now and then. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. (Or you could cook this in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot for about 7 minutes, and use natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.) Serve hot.
NOTE: for the garnish shown in the photos, have some cooked brown rice ready and kept warm -- short grain is great for this because it is stickier than long grain. When you have the soup served out in wide bowls or soup plates, pack a 1/2-cup measuring cup (rinsed with water before using) with the rice, pressing down so that it is compact. Overturn the measuring cup over the soup, tapping the bottom of the cup to dislodge the packed rice intact. (You may need to use a knife to help dislodge it from the cup, but I've never had a mishap with this. This time I used a straight-sided measuring cup, but a slope-sided cup makes a pretty mound and the rice may be easier to dislodge from it.) Repeat for all the servings.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 261 calories, 28 calories from fat, 3.1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1161.5mg sodium, 677.7mg potassium, 45.2g carbohydrates, 13.3g fiber, 5.6g sugar, 16.1g protein, 7.6 points.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 19, 2010
THE 1ST RECIPE I MADE IN MY NEW ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER: CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH VEGAN SAUSAGES
In this post about my new Cuisinart electric pressure cooker,
I promised to post the very first recipe I tried in it, so I am doing so in today's post. It's actually a vegan adaptation of a recipe that was in the instruction booklet that came with the pressure cooker. I decided to try their recipe (more or less) so that I could learn the ins and outs of the cooker. I didn't want to wing it with my own recipe until I knew what I was doing-- how much liquid you could use, etc., etc.I chose the black bean soup because I love black beans, I had some in my pantry, and they are so good for you! (See this info.) It was a delicious whole-meal soup-- I will definitely make it again! And it was finished in about an hour, with very little effort on my part, from UN-soaked dried beans!
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S VEGAN VERSION OF PRESSURE COOKER Cuban Black Bean Soup (with SPICY vegan sausage option)
(aDAPTED FROM A RECIPE IN THE iNSTRUCTION BOOKLET THAT CAME WITH THE cuisinart electric 6-Qt. PRESSURE COOKER)
Makes about 10 cups
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or dark sesame oil 
(or a mixture)
(or a mixture)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/4 cups chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
6 cups vegan broth
1 lb. dry black beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoon soy bacon bits
or chips, or 1/2 cup chopped vegan “ham”
or chips, or 1/2 cup chopped vegan “ham”
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup dry to medium-dry sherry
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Optional:
10-12 ounces spicy vegan sausages cut into 1/4-1/2” slices (such as Tofurkey Italian, or Field Roast Chipotle--my favorite!-- or Italian)
Optional:
10-12 ounces spicy vegan sausages cut into 1/4-1/2” slices (such as Tofurkey Italian, or Field Roast Chipotle--my favorite!-- or Italian)
Garnishes: (Choose any)
Fresh chopped parsley; vegan “sour cream”; diced avocado,
chopped red bell pepper; chopped red onion; sweet corn kernels
(This soup can also be served with a scoop of steamed rice.)
Add oil to the pot and heat (select Sauté mode in the Cuisinart cooker). Add the chopped onions, ¾ cup of the chopped red bell pepper, garlic, oregano, cumin and coriander. Sir-cook until the onions are translucent and tender. Add the broth, black beans, soy bacon bits or “ham”, liquid smoke, and bay leaf. Lock the lid in place, bring up to high pressure (15 lbs.) and, if using the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker, set the timer to 30 minutes. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, adjust your heat to keep the pressure steady and time it for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the Cuisinart cooker will automatically start natural pressure release, which will take about 20 minutes. If using a stovetop cooker, remove from the heat and let the pressure drop naturally.
When the float valve drops (in the Cuisinart cooker), or the pressure is released from a stovetop cooker, remove the lid carefully and remove the bay leaf. Use a stick blender or a potato masher to smash the beans to the desired consistency. (Unplug the Cuisinart cooker first, and be careful using the stick blender to avoid scratching the insert.)
If using, quickly brown the vegan sausage slices in a lightly-oiled nonstick skillet, then add them to the soup, along with the remaining ingredients (cayenne, sherry, red wine vinegar and salt.) Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, without pressure. (In the Cuisinart cooker, there is a Simmer mode.)
Serve with the Garnishes.
Enjoy!
Friday, May 9, 2008
MY LAST POST UNTIL AFTER THE 18TH-- A VARIETY OF STUFF!
I'm off to Princeton, NJ and New York for a week, with my sis! I'll blog when I get back!
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NON-PLASTIC IN WHICH TO STORE YOUR HOMEMADE SOYMILK? These are 1 qt./L Frigoverre glass storage jugs (made in Italy), and they were $4.99 each (Cnd) at London Drugs (UPDATE 2012-- they are now $5.99 and the make is Bormioli Rocco, but it's the same thing). Tight lid and easy to store; sturdy glass. UPDATE 2014: These jugs are also available under the name "Amici" or "Quadro" (talk about confusing!). Here's a 2 qt. jug from Canadian Tire.
Online sources for various kinds of glass storage jugs/pitchers in the US:
A set of two 1 L jugs similar to the ones above, but with colorful lids at amazon.com, and also the single one with a white lid, but, oddly, they are more expensive than the Canadian ones above.
SWEET POTATOES ON MY MIND....
Here's a yummy, no-fat soup we had for lunch the other day:
BRYANNA'S SPICY BLACK BEAN AND SWEET POTATO SOUP (WW CORE PLAN COMPATIBLE)
The combination of black beans and sweet potatoes is always enticing, but especially so in this soup with Caribbean flavors.
3 cups cooked or canned (2/ 15 ounce cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cup low-sodium vegetarian broth (don't use more-- trust me!) (I like Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth Base)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules OR 2 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 pkg. (60 g) Yves Veggie Pizza Pepperoni (or any spicy vegan "sausage" or "deli slice"), cut into slivers
4 green onions, chopped
12-14 ounces sweet potato, peeled and diced
Mix together the beans, broth, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, garlic granules, allspice, and thyme in a blender or food processor. Puree coarsely. Pour into a medium-sized soup pot. (You can also do this right in the soup pot with an immersion/stick blender.)
Add the bay leaf, veggie pepperoni slivers, green onions, and sweet potato. Bring to a boil, stirring now and then. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Servings: 4
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 273.1 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 513.8mg sodium; 842.1mg potassium; 50.6g carbohydrates; 14.1g fiber; 4.2g sugar; 36.5g net carbs; 17.5g protein; 4.7 points.
AND A TREAT:
Chocolate panini.... some high-quality white bread, Ricemellow Creme (or you can use my homemade "Marshie Fluff", ; vegan, organic, fair trade chocolate; and low-sugar apricot jam. Yum!!
Enjoy!
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