It’s winter, so it’s already dark when you get home, late, hungry. and cold. There’s probably some sandwich stuff in the fridge, and there’s cereal, but again, it’s cold. And you’re hungry. NOW.
You need this soup.
In about 15 minutes, with very minimal effort, you have fresh wondrous HOT satisfying soup.
Black Bean Soup
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can of tomatoes, either chopped or crushed, with seasonings if you like
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- 1 small can of tomato juice or V8 (I use low sodium V8) OR about 6 oz of water
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of cayenne or dash of hot sauce
Mix in sauce pan, heat. That takes about 10 minutes. Eat.
The basic recipe is so easy that it’s possible to easily dress this up, but the basic recipe is excellent and all the ingredients are shelf-stable, so you can always have them on hand.
Other potential add-ins before cooking: 1/4 teaspoon oregano, a cube or two of frozen cilantro (or fresh, if you have it), leftover cooked rice, leftover cooked sweet potato, leftover shredded or cubed chicken.
Potential toppers for after cooking: crush a handful of tortilla chips on top, add some sliced avocado before serving, add some fresh chopped cilantro, or sprinkle on some shredded cheese, vegan or not.
You should try Trader Joe’s frozen fire roasted corn. I got a bag and it’s great in chili and soup–has a nice smoky sweet flavor. That soup would also be good with the addition of some crisp crumbled smoked bacon over the top with the avocados. OH! Or sub the corn for a little hominy.
Yep, the recipe is infinitely variable, but the original version tastes great and requires almost zero effort. It’s cooking for the tired.