Here we are already at week four of Love Your Heart month! Today’s featured meal is dinner, and I’m excited to share with you a comforting soup recipe chock full of heart-healthy ingredients.
Be sure to check out all of the hearty-healthy dinner recipes featured today:
- Cara’s Roasted Salmon with Kale & Tahini
- Nicole’s Light Fettuccine Alfredo
- Amy’s Fish Tacos with Avocados
Now, about that soup…
Research has shown that black beans can lower blood cholesterol levels, thereby decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. These little fiber-packed gems are also filled with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. One cup of black beans provides nearly two-thirds of the Daily Value for folate (a B vitamin vital for decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease) and about 180 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids.
Potassium-rich sweet potatoes can help to prevent heart attack and aid in normal heart function and blood pressure. The orange-fleshed vegetable is also packed with antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory nutrients for heart health.
Finally, avocados may help to decrease inflammatory risk factors while improving cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids and oleic acids – both inherent in avocados – are known to improve heart health.
Combining these three heart healthy foods into one dish is actually a common occurrence in our kitchen. Sweet potato & black bean tacos or enchiladas topped with guacamole are quick and easy to make, not to mention delicious to eat.
I decided to switch things up a bit by using these ingredients in a hearty soup, perfect for these lingering winter days.
This thick and creamy blended soup gets a flavor punch from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, amongst other Mexican spices. Sweet potato cubes are pan-roasted to form crisp “croutons”, which are joined by creamy avocado and tangy Greek yogurt atop the steaming soup.
Spicy, satisfying, flavorful, healthy, and easy… what else could you want in a soup?!
Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Soup with Crispy Sweet Potato “Croutons”
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Keywords: simmer soup/stew main vegetarian beans sweet potatoes Mexican
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow or white onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- 2 tsp adobo sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- chipotle hot sauce, optional
- 2% plain Greek yogurt, optional
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic cloves, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, and cayenne; stir & cook for 30 seconds.
Add in the drained beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree using an immersion blender OR by transferring the soup into a blender in 3 batches.
Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve topped with Sweet Potato Croutons, diced avocado, and optional accoutrements.
For the Sweet Potato Croutons (adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking):
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder (or more to taste)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add in the sweet potato cubes, a generous pinch of Kosher salt, and the chile powder. Stir to coat the sweet potato, then let sit for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and browned on the bottom.
Stir the potatoes and brown the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
Repeat step 3 until all sides of the sweet potato cubes are crisp and browned. Drain on paper towel and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (with avocado & sweet potatoes; but without yogurt):
365.9 calories, 11.4 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 17.1 grams fiber, 16.3 grams protein
I’m excited to be hosting today’s giveaway prizes!
1. First up we have The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook by none other than my fellow Key Ingredient Back Burner blogger, Kathy Hester. I can tell you from working with her that Kathy has some fantastic vegan recipes up her sleeve; and this cookbook has given me an incentive to finally buy a slow cooker!
2. Another winner will receive one 12 can variety pack from Pure Alaska Salmon. Canned wild salmon is great to have on hand in the pantry, and would make a perfect quick substitute for fresh salmon in my Salmon Caesar Salad Sandwiches.
To Enter the Giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post for each of the following actions. Enter as many times as you like!
- Leave a comment telling me about your favorite heart-healthy dinner or why you’d like to try this soup.
- Subscribe to Healthy Food For Living.
- Mention this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook with a link to this page.
- Follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
- Follow Kathy Hester on Facebook or Twitter.
- Follow Pure Alaska Salmon on Facebook or Twitter.
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THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!
Giveaway Rules:
No purchase necessary. The contest will close on Monday, February 27th at 11:50pm EST, at which point a winner will be chosen via random number generator. Winner must reside in the United States and supply a valid email address in the commenting form. Winner will be contacted and have 3 days to respond, at which point s/he forfeits the prize and another winner will be chosen. Winner will provide name, email address, shipping address and phone number and give me permission to supply this information to the sponsors of the giveaway items.
