Yummy Soup when I'm Sick

Hi everyone! So I haven't been feeling well the past few days. What does that mean? It's soup time! I know chicken noodle soup is the go-to for feeling sick, but I actually like to eat something a little spicy (go figure). For me, the spice helps clear up my congestion and coughing and I can start to taste things again! I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com that I modified to make it a little tastier. I though the original was way too bland. I hope you enjoy it on this beautiful fall day!!

Black Bean & Corn Feel-Good Soup

Fire Level: yellow-blue

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic)
• 2 carrots, chopped (I recommend chopping these up very small. I didn't and my soup took REALLY long to cook because of it)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken broth because Walmart didn't have vegetable stock, but I think vegetable stock would have been better)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (to make the recipe easier, you can get one can black beans and one can refried beans)
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (to make the recipe easier, you can get crushed tomatoes instead)
• 1 small can diced green chilis
• For Fire Level orange-red: 1 tsp - 1 tblsp cayenne pepper
• For Fire Level blue: add a couple diced jalepeno as well

STEP 1: Heat oil

In a large saucepan, heat your oil over medium heat.

STEP 2: Add first ingredients

Add in your onion, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally so they don't burn. Cook until onion is softened (about 5 minutes).

STEP 3: Spice it up

Add chili powder, cumin, and optional cayenne pepper. Stir for 1 minute.

STEP 4: Make it soup

Add your stock or broth, 1 can of beans, corn, and black pepper. Bring it all to a boil.

STEP 5: Meanwhile...

While your soup is heating up, in a food processor or blender, puree your tomatoes and remaining can of beans. To make the recipe easier, just use the refried beans and the crushed tomatoes and skip this step all together. I don't think it will make a bit of difference! Add these to the pot.

STEP 6: Finish it up!

After everything has been added, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender. I was an idiot and cut my carrots up way too thick. Therefore, I had to let my soup cook for over an HOUR until they were tender. Therefore, heed my warning above and make your carrots very small.

ADDITIONS:

I recommend sprinkling the mixture with a bit of shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or even some sliced avocado for additional texture. You can even crush up some tortilla chips onto the top of the soup for some added crunch!

MAKE THIS EASY RECIPE EVEN EASIER!

In addition to substituting the ingredients above, to make this easy recipe even simpler, after sauteeing the onion and carrot mixture, throw everything into a crockpot/slow cooker at the same time. Turn it on its lowest setting and head to work or out to run errands. The soup will be done when you return.

MAKING THIS FOR ONE?

If you are a solo gal (or even just cooking for two) a big pot of soup can be too much. Do what I did and freeze the rest of it. You can remove it any time later when you are in the mood for a yummy soup and don't feel like cooking!