New Recipe

It has been awhile since I posted a recipe, so I thought it was about time. This recipe is for a soup that I made yesterday while Cameron was on-call. I was kind of desperate since we really need to go grocery shopping and are really low on supplies. I looked through my pantry to see what I had and then went searching for a recipe online. I had some cans of refried beans and decided to find a recipe that would include these as the main ingredient. I found "Refried Bean Soup". At first, I thought this soup sounded kind of gross, but hey, beggars can't be choosy. It actually turned out to be pretty good. I combined 2 recipes from http://www.recipezaar.com to tailor it to what I had in my pantry. This is very economical, and vegetarian, but you can add meat if you would like.

Refried Bean Soup (how I made it)

1/2 an onion, chopped
green pepper (you can add celery or red pepper, I only had 1/2 a green pepper left, so used what I had)
garlic
1-2 cans of diced tomatoes (I only had 1)
1 can of green chilies (I didn't have any, but this would have been a great addition, also, you could just combine the green chilies and diced tomatoes and add a can or 2 of Rotel, instead)
4 c. of chicken broth (I used homemade, and remember, this was me doubling the recipe to feed 7 of us)
2 cans of refried beans (you can use fat-free or vegetarian--whatever)
2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (you could do pinto, chili beans or a lb. of ground beef)
optional: 1 can of corn (I didn't have any)
1-2 t. of cumin
1-2 t. chili powder
sea salt

So, I sauteed the onion and green pepper in olive oil for about 5 minutes til soft. Then I added some minced garlic. I then threw in my can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, refried beans, black beans and spices. Heated it through and served with cheddar cheese. Very easy, cheap and delicious and all of my children finished their soup! You could also serve this with blue corn chips to dip. Really, this soup is very versatile and fool-proof--you just add what you have.

Oh! I served the soup with some edamame. You can buy a bag at Walmart that you only have to thaw and serve, no cooking required. I know this doesn't really go with the soup, but remember, I was desperate. I poured a tiny amount of soy sauce in tiny dishes and doled out the edamame and the kids dip the pods in, popping the beans straight into their mouths. I think this is a kid-friendly food because it is fun to eat. Even my two-year old loves this!

Enjoy!

In Christ, Laura