A Mom Just Like You.....My Journey through Life with 8 Children....

• Nov. 11, 2008 - Blazing Black Bean Soup with a Southwest Twist served along side a Bleeding Beet and Bean Salad.......

Blazing Black Bean Soup with a Southwest Twist served along side a Bleeding Beet and Bean Salad....... Well here are 2 more tasty recipes I created for us today.  One of them will warm you up on the inside.  A good meal for the cold weather that has been settling in and seems to be planning to stay for awhile.  The other recipe is meant as a side salad to eat with or before the soup.  Enjoy them in good health!  The soup recipe can be made quickly or you can cook it slowly all day, whichever you prefer.  Both ways are healthy and a way to feed your family a nice hearty warm healthy meal.   Remember my family has 10 people in it.  So be sure to downsize this recipe or make the big batch and freeze some for another time.  As always use as many organic ingredients as you can. Blazing Black Bean Soup with a Southwest Twist 5-25 oz cans of cooked Black Beans or 2 pounds of dried Black Beans cooked by you (Always soak your dry beans over night.  Then drain the water the next day and put fresh water to boil them in.  Always add a good 1 to 2 inch piece of kombu seaweed to your beans when cooking them.  This and soaking them will remove the gases that tend to bother people when they eat beans.) (DO NOT DRAIN 3 cans of the Beans.  Add the liquid from the 3 cans of canned beans to your pot.  Keep the liquid from the other two until your soup is done in case you need it.  If you want your soup thinner you can add more of the bean liquid to it) (Do this only if you are cooking your own beans) Purified water (Put a little more than just covering the beans.  If you soaked them they will not absorb much more water and you don't want your soup too thin)  Do NOT drain this water from the beans when they are done cooking.  This will be part of your soup base. 3/4 of a jar of Chicken based Better than Bouillon or a substitute of your choice You can use more or less according to your own taste.  You will not need to use salt when using this soup base or any other soup base. 2 -15 oz cans of organic canned corn Drained or use 3-4 cups of frozen corn You can even use raw corn on the cob, just cut it off the corn and add it to your soup pot. 1 -can of Milder Rotel diced Tomatoes 1 bay leaf  always remember to remove after the soup is cooked 1 tsp of ground cumin 1-1/2 teaspoons of dried Cilantro if you want to use fresh Cilantro, wash and chop enough to garnish the soup with after it is in the bowls. 1 Tbsp of Celery seeds 1/4-1/2 cup of dried onions or use freshly grated medium onion 2 Tbsp of garlic granules or 3 large cloves of garlic minced 1 small can of diced green chilles (drained) 10 oz of Sharp Cheddar raw milk cheese grated If you are using canned beans add the entire contents of 3 of the cans to your pot.  Then drain the last 2 cans into a bowl and keep that liquid just in case you need it to loosen up your soup as it cooks.  If you cook your own beans keep all the the liquid they cooked in, this is part of your soup base.  If you added the Kombu to your dried beans remove it before making your soup.  Add your Better than Bouillon to the bean liquid in your pot.  Then add everything else except your cheese.  Drain your corn and green chllies then add them to the pot.  Add the entire can of the Rotel tomatoes.  Now add all of your seasonings to the pot which are your bay leaf, garlic, onion, cumin, celery seeds and the dried cilantro.  If you use fresh cilantro just garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of the fresh chopped cilantro.  Now cook everything together slowly in a crock pot or just for an hour to an hour and a half.  Now grate your cheese.  After soup is ready serve it in bowls, add your fresh cilantro if you didn't use the dried cilantro in the pot.  Then top with 1-1/2 heaping Tbsp of the grated sharp raw milk cheddar cheese to each bowl (more or less to taste).  Be sure to mix your cheese into your soup before eating.  Enjoy!  Serve with some whole grain crescent rolls. (homemade or store bought)  Also serve with the following salad recipe. Bleeding Beet and Bean Salad 2-15 oz cans of cooked baby beets or you can cook up some fresh baby beets if you prefer.  Either way keep the juice from the beets, whether it be from your cans or from the water you steamed your beets in.  Chop the beets into small chunks. 1 small sweet yellow onion sliced thinly 1-15 oz can of cut green beans and chick peas drained or use 1 individual cans of each kind drained or cook your own and add it to your salad but drain juice off of them. 1-15 oz can of 3 bean mix (chick peas, pinto beans and kidney beans) or add any kinds of canned beans or cooked beans of your choice, northern beans, black beans whatever is your preference.  Be sure to drain beans though. 1 Tbsp of Florida unrefined Cane Crystals (this is NOT white sugar) 2-3 dashes of Celtic Sea Salt Not take all the ingredients and mix them together in a bowl.  The only liquid you are using is the liquid from the beets.  All other liquids are drained off before adding your ingredients to your bean salad. My children loved this!  It was my own concoction and it was a hit!  Beets are sweet and the extra splash of sugar cane crystals add a little more sweetness to the salad.  All of my children asked for more!

Post A Comment! :: Send to a Friend!