Black Bean Veggie Soup

Are you a year-round soup person? I am. I love a bowl of soup in all seasons. There is something so comforting about soup, nourishing, warming, filling, healing, satisfying. Soup fills so many needs and wants! And best of all there are SO many different kinds of soup to make!

My Black Bean Veggie Soup is one of my favourite things to make and enjoy. Really, I have dozens of favourites but this one is right up there. It is super simple and quick to make, budget friendly, with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry/fridge or are easy to buy at your local grocery store, it has a bit of heat to it which I love, reminds me of chili and packs so much good nutrition into a bowl of deliciousness.

Fresh garlic is an antioxidant, an antibiotic and has been found to reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that allicin can help promote a healthy heart by lowering bad cholesterol and the antioxidants in garlic may help protect against dementia.

Onions, like garlic, are part of the allium plant family, that contain anti-bacterial properties and cancer-fighting properties linked to the sulfur compounds and flavonoid antioxidants found in allium vegetables. Quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant highly concentrated in onions, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and research shows that eating onions may help reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, such as high blood pressure and elevated triglyceride levels.

Carrots are a wonderful source of Vit A (beta carotene) – so good for our eyes. They are also a good source of several B vitamins, as well as vitamin K, potassium and lutein which is also good for eye health and is an antioxidant. Carrots are a source of fiber and are low in fat.

Peppers are an antioxidant, low in calories, rich in vitamin C, VitE, VitA, folate, and potassium.

Spices are natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouses. There are easily absorbed into the blood stream. They are heart healthy, ease arthritic pain, and support brain health.

Tomatoes are a superfood. They are an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant and support the immune system. The lycopene on tomatoes protects our cells from free radicals and damage, including our skin. The VitC, VitB and VitE support heart health. The lutein and zeaxanthin support eye health.

Black Beans – also referred to as Turtle Beans because of their appearance with their dark covering, contain calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron and phosphorus – all support bone health, lower blood pressure, are high in fiber to support blood sugar balance. The folate, VitB6 and phytonutrient composition of the black bean support heart health, reduces the risk of cancer and the fiber content promotes good digestion and gut health.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Black Bean Veggie Soup goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

4 Cloves Garlic – minced and set aside to work its nutritional magic
2 Small or 1 Large Cooking Onion - diced
2 Medium Carrots – peeled and diced
3 Celery Ribs – diced
1 Green Pepper - diced
1 Orange Pepper – diced
1 Tablespoon Picked Jalapeno Peppers or ½ Fresh Jalapeno Pepper – seeded and diced
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
4 Cups Veggie Bouillon – homemade or store-bought
1 Cup Passata (Ground Tomatoes)
1 19 oz liq/550 mL Can Black Beans - drained and rinsed
Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt or Plan Sea Salt
Grinds of Fresh Black pepper

Toppings

A dollop of Sour Cream
A dollop of Hummus
Tortilla Chips – broken up
A Splash of Fresh Lemon Juice

How It’s Made

In a medium-large pot, over medium-high heat, heat 1/3 cup of the veggie bouillon an when hot add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, green, orange and jalapeño and peppers. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes until the veggies have softened.
Stir in the spices, a splash more bouillon and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to let the spices mix with the veggies.
Add the rest of the bouillon, the passata, the black beans and season with a pinch of the herbed seasoned sea salt, or plain sea salt, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low so the soup simmers gentle until the carrots are soft. This will take 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat for now.
You are going to mash up some of the soup o thicken it slightly and provide a balance of smooth to the texture of the beans and veggies:
- With a potato masher, in the soup pot, carefully so you don’t splash hot soup on your hand, mash the mixture a few times.
- With an immersion hand-held blender (this is my preferred way), in the soup pot, mash up the soup for 10-15 seconds. Much longer and you will have a pureed soup (which is also delicious!).
- If using a blender, with a soup ladle, carefully pour half the soup into the blender and blend for 10 seconds then pour the soup back into the soup pot.
Give the soup a good stir.
Serve the soup in pretty bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, or hummus to keep it vegan, and some broken tortilla chips.

Enjoy!