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 From the Cardiologist's Wife: Best Black Bean Soup
Several of my friends are vegetarians with differing reasons for their choice. Some
just don’t like meat, a few do so for health reasons, others have religious reasons
while there are those who have compassion for animals. My family often eats
vegetarian meals because we like vegetables, especially in the summer when there is
plenty of fresh, local produce.
There are several benefits to eating a vegetarian diet. Studies show that
vegetarians are at lower risk for developing heart disease, certain cancers,
diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or becoming obese. Cutting meat
from your diet can lower your grocery bill. Vegetarians typically eat a diet higher
in fiber and lower in saturated fats than their meat eating friends.
The flip side is that vegetarians may miss out on certain key nutrients if they
aren’t careful. These include protein, calcium, vitamin D, iron and vitamin B-12.
This can be especially true for athletes who may find it hard to eat enough calories
to sustain their increased energy needs. It is important for vegetarians to eat a
wide variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains so they aren’t nutritionally
deficient. They need to plan their diet carefully just like any of us should and
not rely on processed or packaged foods.
Try eating a vegetarian meal once in awhile. Here is a wonderful black bean soup
recipe to get you started. My teenaged kids even say this is the best tasting black
bean soup and believe me, they wouldn’t eat it otherwise. The secret to the
wonderful taste is the lime juice and fresh cilantro. My sister found this in
Cooking Light a few years ago. For those of you who just have to have meat, add 2
slices of chopped cooked bacon at the end. This will hit the spot these next few
cold nights.
Best Black Bean Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. dried black beans
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 jalapeño, minced
4 cans fat free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 14 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
light sour cream for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Wash and pick over beans. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Let sit
overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse. Sauté onion, celery and carrots in
3 Tbsp. canola or olive oil about 10 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and
jalapeño and sauté 2 more minutes. Add beans, broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil,
reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Remove 2 to 4 cups of
soup, let cool a bit and place in a blender. Process until smooth and return to
pan. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour
cream if desired.
Until next week,
Lisa
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