Black Bean Vegetable Soup

My sister-in-law got this from Allrecipes and I am in love with this soup. It is simple and healthy and has a great flavor. The recipe calls for canned beans. I like to make my own beans and freeze them for soups. They are firmer and less slimy and I can add my own spices. I have a new pressure cooker and have been cooking my beans in that and they are done in 30 minutes. So that is another option if you have a pressure cooker. We added lime, cilantro, a little plain yogurt, and tortilla strips to make it more like a tortilla soup.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable stock (I just use my chicken base from Costco)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (I like crushed tomatoes instead)

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, and carrots, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add stock, 1 can of the beans, corn, and pepper; bring to boil.

2. Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree together tomatoes and remaining can of beans; add to pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

This tastes
164 calories, 3 grams fat per serving. I like to double this one too.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love this soup! It is loaded with veggies and has hearty whole wheat noodles. I love to make a big batch and use the leftovers for the kids lunches. Half the recipe if you don't want a lot leftover. It makes 15 cups of soup.

Ingredients:

12 cups water
8 t Chicken Better than Bouillon (Costco)
2 frozen or fresh chicken breasts
1 lb whole wheat pasta noodles. I use fusilli
26 oz chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1 T italian seasoning
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
cracked pepper and salt to taste

Add 1 t olive oil, chopped onions and garlic to a large pot and saute until onions are translucent. Next add tomatoes,1 T italian seasoning, water and soup base(Better than Bouillon)to the pot and bring to boil. Add whole chicken breasts to water and let boil. Chop other ingredients while chicken is cooking. Remove chicken and dice chicken. Add back into the pot. Add pasta, carrots, peas, corn and parmesan cheese to pot and let cook for about 13 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 15 cups of soup. Each cup is about 155calories.