Recipe - Stewed Tomato Soup With Black Beans And Bell Peppers

1 teaspoon Olive oil
One fourth cup Finely chopped red onion
4 Garlic cloves; finely
chopped
One fourth teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
One half cup Red; green, and yellow bell
peppers, chopped
1 teaspoon Creole chile spice blend;
see recipe, or
Mexicanseasoning blend
2 cup Cooked black beans; rinsed
2 cup Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 cup Lowsalt vegetable or
chicken broth
One half cup Carrot juice
2 tablespoon Apple juice
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro;
leaves only
1 ounce Lowfat cheddar cheese
Malt vinegar; as condiment

This black bean soup has evolved over the years into a tomato soup with
black beans. It's fast; It uses canned ingredients. It's comfort food when
served with cornbread, also made from a mix. The only unusual ingredients
are the juices: carrot and apple. You could omit them but they calm the
tomato's acidity. Serves 4 when served with cornbread. Also good as a
topper for baked potatoes.

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Soften onion with garlic and black
pepper. Add the chopped bell peppers, the Mexican spice blend and the
rinsed and drained black beans. Stir well to combine and add the stewed
tomatoes (Mexican style). Simmer, crushing the larger peices of tomato and
adding chicken broth to thin. Cook until the flavors are combined; about 15
to 20 minutes or as long as it takes to bake the corn bread.

2. Just before serving, add the chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stir
until aromatic. Serve in wide bowls, garnish with a few cheddar cheese
shavings; sprinkle soup with malt vinegar. PER BOWL: 183 cals, 2.5 g fat
(12%cff)

Tested by Pat and Bob Hanneman 12/98 from
http://home.earthlink.net/~kitpath

CARROT JUICE SUBSTITUTE: Cook 1 carrot with apple juice in the microwave
then mash it, adding apple juice to taste. JIFFY CORN MUFFIN MIX: plus 1/3
cup lowfat buttermilk, 1 medium egg, and up to 4 tablespoons skim milk;
400F preheated oven, 15mins in an 8x8inch pan; centered rack). VARIATION:
Add an ounce or two of leftover cooked meat, shredded and warmed with the
onion.

Recipe by: Pat Hanneman, Riverside (1998 Dec)

Posted to EATLF Digest by Pat Hanneman kitpath@earthlink.net on Dec 31,
1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.