Black Bean Soup

This spicy little number will warm you up from the inside out and gives you the option of keeping it healthy or piling on the good stuff for added flavor. I like to make this on a Sunday afternoon and pack it to take to lunch with me throughout the week. I usually choose to keep it simple by adding my extras to the soup itself but it would be great with cornbread too! I hope that you enjoy!

Ingredients:

- cooking spray

- 1 medium onion, uncooked and finely chopped

- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced

- (3) 15 oz. canned black beans, undrained

- ½ tsp red pepper flakes

- 1 tsp ground cumin

- 14 ½ fat free chicken broth

- 10 oz. canned tomatoes with green chilis

- 11 oz. canned yellow corn, drained

Instructions:

- Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until onions are soft but not yet brown.

- Pour one can of beans into blender and add sautéed onion/ garlic mixture, red pepper flakes and cumin. Blend together until smooth. Pour all into a lined crockpot.

- Pour second can of beans and broth into blender and puree until smooth; add to crockpot.

- Add in third can of beans (do not drain or puree), tomatoes and chilies and corn into crockpot.

- Cook in crockpot, covered, on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

- For a less healthier version; top with tortilla strips, sour cream and shredded cheese

Enjoy!

Tara