Black Bean Soup

I also have a cupboard full of beans, but only because I have recently come to appreciate them. I used to hate beans, but now I love them. I found this recipe in a magazine and like it for several reasons (cheap, low cal, tasty).

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder (less if you don't want a kick)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrots and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin. Sauté for about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove 2 cups of soup and puree in a blender. Stir pureed soup back into pot and cook 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon soup into bowls, top with yogurt and cilantro and serve.

The less healthy version uses sour cream instead of yogurt, which I usually substitute just because it's what I have on hand and I don't think a dollop of sour cream every so often is going to kill ya.

Other bean favorites:

• This is a pretty good chili recipe: http://eclecticrecipes.com/everything-chili.
• I second the cowboy caviar from Nichole.
• We often eat beans as a side with Mexican meals.
• I like adding beans to salads. (Cafe Rio pork salad, perhaps?)