ADVERTISEMENT
- Real Recipes from Real People -

Recipe: Southwestern Bean Soup, Made Better (using butternut squash and greens, no meat)

Soups
SOUTHWESTERN BEAN SOUP, MADE BETTER

"This soup, almost a stew thanks to all the good stuff in it, includes what southwestern Native Americans called the three sisters - beans, corn and squash. Warming and aromatic with smoked paprika, it makes a complete winter meal."



3/4 cup dried black-eyed peas (or 1 3/4 cup frozen or 1 (15 oz.) can, no salt added, rinsed and drained)*
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cups chopped butternut squash, in 3/4-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup steamed beet greens or chard (4 cups raw, chopped)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

TO PREPARE THE DRIED BEANS:
(If using frozen or canned black-eyed peas, skip these directions.) Soak dried black-eyed peas in 3 cups water for 4 to 6 hours. Drain in colander, then transfer soaked peas to medium saucepan. Add 3 cups water and set pot over medium-high heat. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar. When water boils, reduce heat to simmer and cook peas for 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain in colander, and set cooked beans aside. Or, refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

TO PREPARE THE SOUP:
In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add squash, stir to combine and coat with oil, and cook 1 minute. Cover pot tightly, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add broth, corn, oregano and paprika. Cover and simmer soup until squash is tender, 10 minutes.

Add greens and black-eyed peas and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide soup among 6 wide, shallow soup bowls. Sprinkle cilantro over each serving, dividing it evenly among bowls.

Makes 6 servings.

Per 1 1/2 cup serving: 158 calories, 3 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 27 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 428 mg sodium.

*RECIPE NOTES:
"Most recipes call for canned beans as though they were the only option. Using them is exquisitely convenient, but making dried beans is almost as easy. Hear me out, please, before you click away.

I sometimes use canned beans when cooking for myself, so I'm not an uncompromising purist. But, no canned brand matches the flavor and texture of home-cooked beans. Certainly not after you rinse canned beans to reduce their sodium content and remove the remains of canned "bean juice."

Some dried beans do not require long soaking or hours to cook. Black-eyed peas need just a four-hour soak. They cook in 30 to 40 minutes, about what it takes to make a nice pot of soup. Or use the quick-soak method and black-eyed peas will be ready in two hours. Of that time, only 10 minutes involves you; the rest, while the beans soak and then simmer, is untended. For this method, bring the dried peas to a boil in a large pot, like cooking pasta, then cover and set aside for 1 hour. Drain, replace the water, and cook until the beans are tender, about 40 minutes.

Other dried beans may be ready more quickly, too, provided they are less than a year old. This can be hard to know. Shopping at stores where the stock moves quickly make this more likely.

A pound of dried beans is two and a half cups. When cooked, it makes 10 half-cup servings, less than the cost of most canned choices. You can cook just one cup of dried beans at a time and use them to make soup or chili for four servings."

Source: Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research
MsgID: 3155272
Shared by: Betsy at Recipelink.com
In reply to: Recipe: January 2014 Daily Recipe Swap - Assorte...
Board: Daily Recipe Swap at Recipelink.com
  • Read Replies (26)
  • Post Reply
  • Post New
  • Save to Recipe Box

More recipes:

Vegetarian Soups
Reviews and Replies:
1
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
2
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
3
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
4
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
5
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
6
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
7
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
8
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
9
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
10
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
11
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
12
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
13
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
14
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
15
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
16
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
17
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
18
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
19
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
20
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
21
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
22
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
23
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
24
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
25
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
26
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
27
  Betsy at Recipelink.com
UPLOAD AN IMAGE
Allowed file types: .gif .png .jpg .jpeg

POST A REPLY
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
  • Recipe: Southwestern Bean Soup, Made Better (using butternut squash and greens, no meat)
  • Please select one:
  • This message includes a recipe that I have not made Recipe: will appear as the first word of the title
  • This message includes a recipe that I have made Recipe (tried): will appear as the first words of the title
  • This message is a question or a request for a recipe ISO: (In Search of) will appear as the first words of the title
  • This message is to thank the person(s) that answered my request Thank You will appear as the first words of the title
  • No Prefix


POST A NEW MESSAGE
Post a Request - Answer a Question
Share a Recipe
Thank You To All Who Contribute
  • Please select one:
  • This message includes a recipe that I have not made Recipe: will appear as the first word of the title
  • This message includes a recipe that I have made Recipe (tried): will appear as the first words of the title
  • This message is a question or a request for a recipe ISO: (In Search of) will appear as the first words of the title
  • This message is to thank the person(s) that answered my request Thank You will appear as the first words of the title
  • No Prefix