Sunday Soup

Today was cold and cloudy…a perfect soup day! And one of our favorite comfort soups that’s on the table in a hurry is black bean soup. I found this recipe in The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook by John and Mary McDougall. It’s become a weekly meal at our house and it heats up again for tomorrow’s lunch just as fresh as the first time around. I usually make corn muffins with it, but today we had Chuck’s yummy “no knead” bread.

We decided about 10 years ago that we were just as special as company. So we always set the table with our blue Spode china and use cloth napkins. It makes even our soup look less hurried. In the summer, we have fresh flowers from our garden, but this winter a cheery red Kalanchoe brightens up the kitchen.

All the recipes in The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook can be prepared in 15 minutes or less. That’s my kind of cooking!

Black Bean Soup

1/4 cup water
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 15-ounce cans black beans
1 1/2 cups water
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash or two of Tabasco sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish (optional)

Place the 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan with the onion and garlic. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the garnish. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat , and cook for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and green onions, if desired.

(To make the soup thicker and taste like it’s been cooking on the stove all day, mash the beans in the pot with a potato masher. I usually do it before I add the water.)

You can find more plant based recipes like this at drmcdougall.com