Black Bean Soup with Crispy Tortillas

vegetable oil, for frying tortillas
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
dash or two of salt
1 onion, chopped about 1/4 inch
1 tsp ground cumin
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (NOT drained!)
2-4 tbsp (to taste) fresh cilantro, chopped
black pepper (to taste)
lime juice (to taste)
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over moderately high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Add the tortillas and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Or you could do the easy thing, like me, and pull out your deep fryer!) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortillas to paper towels to drain; season with salt. In a medium soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the tortillas. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and their liquid and 1 1/2 cups of water. **Optional Step: You can blend one can of the soup, with its liquid, for a creamier, thicker soup. I like it this way, but you can just dump in both cans if you'd like.** Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro. Squeeze a little lime juice over the soup and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 421
Fat 19g
Sodium 179mg
Carbs 43g
Fiber 14g
Protein 21g

Mexican Bean Stew

I had partial cans of assorted beans in my fridge and needed to find a way to use them. I found this recipe and just adjusted it to what I had on hand.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent. Stir in cumin. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, corn, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 209
Fat 3.5g
Sodium 497mg
Carbs 37g
Fiber 9.5g
Protein 9.8g

Crockpot Indian Lentil Stew

1/2 cup dried lentils
1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 small or 1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small-medium carrot, sliced
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
3/4 tsp garam masala (an Indian spice mixture found with the spices or in the ethnic foods section)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, (more or less to increase or decrease heat)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Use a 3 quart crockpot. Chop all of your vegetables and toss them into the crockpot. Drain and rinse beans and add them. Add the lentils. Grate ginger over crockpot. Add spices. Stir in the broth and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. The longer the better. It even tastes better the next day. Before serving, blend 1/2 stew in small bathes and return to crockpot. Stir together and warm through a few more minutes. Serve with whole with pita bread (for a healthy option) or traditional naan. (I like to dip my pita bread in this. It's so yummy! Very different flavors and smells like holiday spices!)

Makes about 4 (1 cup) servings.

Calories 204
Fat 1.5g
Sodium 933mg
Carbs 39.5g
Fiber 11g
Protein 11g

Minestrone Soup

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2-3 celery stalks, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans low sodium vegetable broth
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp parsley (or to taste)
2 tsp oregano (or to taste)
2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp basil (or to taste)
2tsp thyme (or to taste)
12 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. When vegetables are tender add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes or until vegetables are desired tenderness. Return to a boil and add pasta for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Calories 162
Fat 3g
Sodium 837mg
Carbs 29g
Fiber 8g
Protein 7g

Turkey Meatball and Orzo Soup

1 cup orzo
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed and discarded and rolled into 20 (1-inch) meatballs (spicy or sweet sausage is fine, I prefer spicy)
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
pepper to taste

Boil salted water. Add orzo and boil until orzo is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water, then drain and let cool. While orzo is boiling, heat oil over medium heat in soup pot. Cook meatballs about 4 minutes, until lightly browning. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add broth and season with pepper to taste. Bring broth to a simmer and add meatballs. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes, then add spinach and orzo. Cook about 1 minute or until spinach is wilted.

Makes about 5 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

Calories 310
Fat 10g
Sodium 992mg
Carbs 34g
Fiber 2g
Protein 23.5g

Albino Chili

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds to decrease spiciness)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 tsp powdered cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, in small cubes
1/4 cup fresh or 2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Saute onion and garlic in oil in pot until tender. Add jalapeno, chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt, and saute another minute. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and cheese and serve.

Makes 3 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Calories 300
Fat 14
Sodium 1139mg
Carbs 19g
Fiber 4g
Protein 25g

Creamy Broccoli Soup

14 ounce package (or 5 cups) frozen broccoli florets
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
3/4 cup fat free half and half
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 full cup small fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp lemon juice

Place frozen broccoli, onion, broth, and parsley in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and uncover. Stir together half and half, milk, and cornstarch until smooth and set aside. Puree hot cooked mixture in blender in small batches (be so careful!) until smooth. Return to pan and and stir in half and half mixture and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes or until broccoli florets are desired tenderness.

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 85
Fat 1.5g
Sodium 1112mg
Carbs 16g
Fiber 2g
Protein 2g

Traditional Taco Soup

**I call it traditional because my mom makes this for the family every year on Halloween. We get back from a cold night of trick or treating and she has warm taco soup waiting for us. She's the best!**

1/2 package taco seasoning (I love the seasoning to be strong so I use the whole package) :)
1 (16 ounce) can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced

Saute onions in a medium pot for about 5 minutes. Add beans, seasoning, onion, tomatoes, sauce and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with cheese and avocado.

(Other additional toppings: sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, etc.)

**If you choose to add meat to this recipe, I have doubled the beans and omitted the beef. So saute 1/2 pound ground beef with the onions, use 8 ounces of beans, and you may or may not want to add a little extra tomato sauce.**

Makes about 6 servings.

Calories 259.5
Fat 11.5g
Sodium 850mg
Carbs 31g
Fiber 9g
Protein 11.5g

Traditional French Onion Soup

4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced (it may seem like way too much, but onions cook down a lot!)
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
black pepper, to taste
3 1/2 ounces whole wheat bread
4 ounces reduced fat Swiss cheese, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a large skillet lightly with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently. Let the onions brown thoroughly. As they cook and caramelize, stir well to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan or burning.

While the onions are cooking cut the bread into 1 inch squares. Place them on a cookie sheet and put the bread in the preheated oven. Let them cook for about 5 - 10 minutes until toasted. Remove from the oven.

When the onions are soft and well browned add the vegetable broth and pepper. Stir well scraping all the brown from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low.

Divide the toasted bread between 4 bowls. Divide the onions and soup between the bowls. Top the soup with the sliced Swiss cheese. Place the bowls in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and very slightly browned. If your bowls are not oven safe (mine aren't), either wait a minute and allow the cheese to melt on it's own or you can pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to speed things along.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 247
Fat 9.5g
Sodium 643mg
Carbs 29.5g
Fiber 4.5g
Sugar 1g
Protein 12g

Quick and Easy Meatless Chili

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 cup frozen corn
1 package Lawry's chili seasoning
3 cups water
6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

Saute onions and bell peppers. When onions are soft, add remaining ingredients, except for cheese. Simmer about 30 minutes. Top with grated cheese.


Makes 6 servings.

Calories 340
Fat 11g
Sodium 988mg
Carbs 45.5g
Fiber 13.4g
Sugar 4.5g
Protein 18.5g

Delicious and Easy Vegetable Soup

1 package onion soup mix (or 4 tbsp)
5 cups water
2 stalks celery, sliced
10 baby carrots, sliced
6 medium mushrooms, sliced
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped

I cut my veggies a little thicker. I like them that way, but it takes a little longer to cook. The thinner the veggies, the less cooking time. Throw everything into a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are desired tenderness.

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 69.5
Fat 1g
Sodium 412.3mg
Carbs 14g
Fiber 2.5g
Sugar 1.5g
Protein 2.3g

Creamy Italian White Bean Soup

This is really yummy with some good Italian bread on the side, although whole wheat is slightly healthier. I feel like I'm getting a healthy version of Olive Garden when I have this soup with a side salad! And it makes great leftovers.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2-16 ounce cans white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1-14 ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups water or more vegetable or chicken broth
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook the onions and celery in oil until tender in a medium pot. Add garlic. Stir in beans, broth, pepper, thyme and 2 cups water or additional broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then simmer for 15 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture from soup and set aside. In blender at low speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth, (it helps to remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow steam to escape, but be careful not to burn yourself!!). Once blended pour soup back into pot and stir in reserved beans. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 248
Fat 5.5
Sodium 957mg
Carbs 38g
Fiber 12g
Sugar 0g
Protein 12g