Mexican White Bean Soup
In light of all of our recent expenses, I decided one of the few places we could trim our budget would be at the grocery store. I'm normally given carte blanche there, so it'll be a fun challenge to be able to stretch our money a little farther while shopping during the next few weeks. The bonus, of course, is that we can experiment with even more meat free meals, which is something we like to do anyway. Here's what we're trying for tonight.
1 1/4 cups dried navy beans (8 ounces)
6 cups water
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 orange
1 cup salsa verde
Sour cream (optional)
Fresh cilantro
Cayenne pepper
Rinse beans. In a 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven combine beans and the 6 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans. In the Dutch oven cook onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add broth and the 2 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
Using a handheld immersion blender, blend mixture slightly. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend mixture slightly. (Or let soup cool slightly. Transfer mixture, one-third at a time, to a blender. Cover; blend slightly.) Return to Dutch oven. Finely shred 1 teaspoon peel from orange; then juice orange. Stir orange juice, peel, and salsa verde into soup; heat through. If desired, top with sour cream. Sprinkle with cilantro and cayenne pepper.
Our favorite meatless/easily adapted to meatless entrees:
* Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
* Quick and Easy Red Pepper Pasta
* Chickpea Chipotle Tostadas
* Vegetarian Korma
* Vegetable Pot Pie
* Florentine Stuffed Shells
* Pad Thai
* Southwestern Eggrolls
* Greek Nachos
* 'Fake' Chili
* Margherita Pizza
* California Veggie Sandwich
* Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
* Black Beans and Rice
* Mediterranean Wraps
* Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Our favorite meatless soups:
* Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup
* Potato and Leek Soup
* Roasted Tomato Bisque
* Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
* Minestrone
* Tex-Mex Butternut Bisque
* Black Bean Soup
* Easiest Ever Broccoli Cheese Soup
* Roasted Red Pepper Soup
* Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
* Chunky Tomato Bisque with Roasted Corn
* Thanksgiving Butternut Squash Soup