Black Bean Soup

This soup is really hearty and delicious.  Also, it is pretty quick to make - it took me about 30 minutes, start to finish.
The main ingredient - black beans.

Let me give you some benefits of black beans from The World's Healthiest Foods:
     -Lots of fiber
     -Lots of protein
     -Lots of antioxidants
     -Lots of iron
     -They help to lower cholesterol


Fast and Delicious Black Bean Soup

I modified the recipe -- no bell pepper (because I can't always find organic bell peppers, and bell peppers are on the Dirty Dozen list of fruits/vegetables), ground turkey instead of ham, no salt, and no cheese or sour cream on top (but only because I forgot to add them).  Also, I didn't bother to puree one of the cans of black beans.  I've done that before and it just seemed like an unnecessary extra step.

Put the following in a pot and heat for about 5 minutes:

     -2 tablespoons olive oil
     -1 medium onion, chopped (I used quite a bit less)
     -2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
     -3 cloves of garlic, minced

Next, add the following:

     -2 15-oz cans of black beans
     -1 14-oz can chicken broth
     -2 cups cooked ground turkey
     -1/4 teaspoon cumin
     -ground black pepper to taste

Bring it all to a boil, and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Garnish, if you like, with some shredded cheese and/or sour cream.

This is wonderful with some corn bread on the side!  (I didn't feel like making any so I had some toasted homemade bread).