Black Bean Soup

There are a number of changes I've made as intentions for 2017. One is to eat more, which to some may seem the best of intentions, but for me, eating less has had detrimental effects on both my metabolism and overall health. I'm a poor morning eater, often finding myself at 11:00 having had little more than a cup of coffee, and I spend the remainder of the day making up for those calories lost, feeling bloated and full in an uncomfortable and less than satisfying way.

This year, one of my intentions is to eat larger in the AM and smaller by the time dinner comes, affording our bellies a chance to fill and digest in a healthier way. Our dinners, as a result, have been planned carefully, smaller, yet more filling and lighter at the same time, a dynamic difficult yet not impossible to achieve.

The first I tried accomplished this perfectly - a black bean soup made in a double batch to allow for plenty of leftovers for lunch during the week. While I've made a few changes to the original recipe, the idea is the same - clean, rich, and packed with nutrients. And it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.

You need (for a single batch, serves 4):

olive oil
salt
1 lg. sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped and divided
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 cans black beans
1 qt. chicken broth

Heat a few swirls of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute for five minutes. Add the garlic, half of the chopped cilantro, and spices and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the black beans and broth. Bring to a gentle boil and then lower the heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Using an immersion blender or small batches in the blender, puree soup until smooth. Serve with a sprinkling of the remaining cilantro, and, if desired, chopped avocado, plain greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, fresh limes, and tortilla chips.