Vegetarian Black Beans Soup | Recipe

Disclosure: In exchange for participating in the challenge and writing this post, I was given a gift package from Green is Universal. All opinions are still my own.

Black beans soup has been part of the family menu since I can remember. My grandmother prepared it quite often and my mom usually cooks Black Beans Soup on Sundays, as it is a very easy recipe to prepare and requires relatively little supervision in the kitchen. For me it was always an ordinary dish and it was not until I got interested in eating clean, unprocessed and nutritious food that I realized its nutritional value and became my go-to meal; so when I was invited to participate in The Eco Eats Challenge of Green is Universal, I thought this recipe would be perfect to share and help others think beyond chicken, meat and fish when serving lunch or dinner.

Vegetarian meals can be intimidating at first; they were to me. I thought being vegetarian meant eating lettuce all day and giving up a big chuck of dishes I really enjoyed. I was TOTALLY WRONG!

There are so many vegetarian recipes that it is impossible to feel restricted. At home we discovered Portobello burgers, tofu chili and most recently I prepared a Bolognese sauce with Portobello mushrooms that was delicious (I still haven’t posted that recipe here on the blog).

It has been a long process, but totally satisfying. We’re slowly changing the way we eat, but at our own pace, slowly but surely consuming, at least, one vegetarian meal a week.

For Vegetarian Black Beans Soup you need:

1 lb black beans, uncooked
8 cups of water
½ white onion, diced
½ green pepper, diced
¼ cup baby bell peppers
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
4 sprigs of cilantro
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Soak the beans overnight; drain them in the morning and rinse them with water, then put them to boil in a pot with fresh water. Once it starts boiling, drain again (be careful not to get burned) and put them to boil with 8 cups of water.

Depending on how tender they are, may take 2 to three hours to soften. Stir occasionally and monitor the water level so the beans do not burn. Add more water if the level gets too low.

Once they are soft, lower the heat. In a pan, put the olive oil and sauté the vegetables until the onions are looking translucent. Add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, season with the spices, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 or 15 minutes.

Finally add the cilantro sprigs and cook for 5 minutes or until the cilantro wilts.

Bon Appetite!

“Are you interested in ‘eco-eating’? NBC’s Green is Universal is hosting an “Eco Eats” sweepstakes from September 29 – October 17. To join, visit their free green-living tool, One Small Act, and join the “Eco Eats” challenge. Everyone who signs-up and tackles at least one action by October 17^th will be entered to win one of five 6-month subscriptions to NatureBox. No Purchase Necessary. Must be US resident and 18+. Read official rules here.