Meatless Monday: Black Bean & Red Pepper Soup

Enjoy a warm and hearty blended soup that fills you up and helps you stay trim.  This recipe makes plenty of leftovers so you can bring a healthy lunch to work or come home to a ready-made meal the very next day.

Black beans are rich in the antioxidant anthocyanin that’s also found in blueberries and purple grapes.  This phytonutrient gives these foods their blue hue and helps to keep our immune system strong.

There are so many delicious ways to make black bean soup.  This recipe pairs black beans with the sweetness of red peppers and adds a kick with chili powder and jalapeno peppers.  Spicy foods can help boost metabolism so enjoy a big bowl without any guilt!

Ingredients:
1 bag dry black beans (16 oz)
2 large red peppers (I used local, field peppers)
2 jalapeno peppers
2 cups spinach
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups water
1 avocado

Directions:
1.) Rinse dry beans and remove any debris.

2.) Soak overnight in slow cooker and cover beans with water.

3.) Rinse and drain beans the next morning.

4.) Add beans back to slow cooker.

5.) Wash and chop red pepper and jalapenos.  Remove seeds from peppers (you can add jalapeno seeds for a spicier soup).

6.) Chop onion and garlic. Wash spinach. Add chopped veggies (onion, garlic, jalapeno, red pepper) and spinach to slow cooker.

7.) Add water and then spices and stir.

8.) Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

9.) Remove about half of soup and blend in batches.

10.) Mix blended soup with unblended portion back in slow cooker.

11.) Garnish with chopped avocado.

Serve and enjoy!