After so many lovely days in Pittsburgh we have returned to our current home-sweet-home in Tennessee. Unexpectedly the trip home was a sigh of relief - a chance to return to our 'real' lives, to pick up our scattered projects and enjoy the privacy of our Nashville life.
This week I will post some pictures from our Pittsburgh adventures. But for now we are both beyond exhausted with the holiday season and overfilled with heavy meals and sugar. After unpacking the car I turned to my favorite panacea: vegetable soup. And this time with pictures!
Black Bean Soup
ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, undrained*
4 cups of veggie broth
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh ground pepper
hot sauce to taste (I use Tabasco chipotle sauce)
In a soup pot over medium heat sauté the chopped onions with a little olive oil. After they become soft add the garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the broth as well as the sweet potato, carrots, corn and undrained black beans. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then lower the heat to keep it at a simmer. Add the spices and taste for seasoning (Tabasco chipotle sauce, in addition to being my personal kitchen secret weapon, is very mild and forgiving in a sauce - I really pour it in). Simmer the soup 15-20 minutes until everything is soft and delicious. Best served in a chilly house, and goes perfectly with croutons and sweaters.
* I know this may be an unpopular or shocking opinion, but I am a fan of cooking with the liquid from canned beans. It lends a silky thickness to soups and sauces while eliminating the need for additional salting. It's not for every recipe, but it works beautifully in this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment