Thursday, February 15, 2018

What's for Dinner Thursday Addition~Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

This week's What's for Dinner is a special Thursday addition, since Valentine's Day fell on a Wednesday.  I hope all my friends were spoiled by a loved one in some way yesterday.  And those missing a loved one, I pray God smiled down on you and made your day a little brighter.

I am a huge fan of slow cooker meals during the winter months.  Something about being able to throw a few ingredients into the pot, and then walk away for hours to come home to a hot hearty meal.  A win in my book.

This is a new to us recipe.  Since #2 and I's food sensitivity tests have us taking beef and turkey out of our diets, we are out to find meatless hearty dishes so we don't overdo the chicken and fish.  We have learned that overcompensating for one sensitivity with a certain food generally leads to that being on the list the next time. So we really try hard to rotate our proteins especially.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Prior to cooking.  Look at all those gorgeous colors!


Ingredients:

1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
4 C good quality vegetable stock (we use Kitchen Basics)
4 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (we use Eden organic-be sure to by the SOY free version)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
***optional toppings:  chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled corn tortilla chips, diced avocado, sour cream and/or shredded cheddar (dairy free, if making this soup vegan)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours, until all of the vegetables are cooked and tender.  Remove the bay leaf.

2. At this point, you can either:
    1. serve the soup as-is (brothy and chunky)
    2. use a blender or food-processor to puree the soup completely (uber-thick and smooth)
    3. use a blender or food-processor to puree about half of the soup (so that it's thick and smooth but          still a little chunky)

3. Serve the soup warm, garnished with your desired toppings.  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months.



Original recipe can be found here.

12 comments:

Rustown Mom said...

What a pretty pot of soup! And I love that you can blend it up, too.

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

Gosh, this looks good! And with a little cilantro and avocado...yum!!! I love coming home to a meal that's been cooking in the crock pot all day long. Such a comforting feeling. :)

Decor To Adore said...

This looks like perfection in a pot on a cold day. It only got up to 34 here today. BRRR. I made homemade chicken noodle soup with GF noodles. :)

Andrea Nine said...

I wanted to come back snd tell you, I made this and it was sooo good. I did use chicken stock but I am a HUGE Black Bean lover so this satisfied big time! Thanks for the recipe!

bj said...

Looks so good. I love soup all year long.

Decor To Adore said...

I LOVE your new profile pic! You are too cute. :)

Stacey said...

How did I miss this? First I have to say your new photo is fabulous!!

Second, we love black beans and eat them all the time. I make a black bean soup that is very simple and delicious but I love that you've added more veggies. Definitely making this! :)

Happy Spring. :)

Decor To Adore said...

As or weather has once again turned cold this is a perfect recipe for dinner. May you have a wonderful week of lovely weather!

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Great recipe Lauren. I love trying new things. Soup is good anytime. So sorry about your family having health issues. May your family have healing thoughts and prayers. Love your new photo.

Brandi said...

My daughter made black beans in the crockpot last week and it was so convenient for dinner. We added shredded chicken, rice and a few other ingredients to fill in our tortillas. Next time I'll suggest your soup recipe!

Christine @ Rustic-Refined said...

That looks wonderful. It's such a weird day here in Indiana. Cool and breezy, so that looks right up my alley!

bj said...

ummmm...I'll bookmark this one and make it when the weather is cooler.