And the winner of my first copy of Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm is….
….Meena Sharma! Congratulations Meena, I will be contacting you shortly to let you know you’ve won.
Thank you to everyone who entered! I really appreciate your support and excitement. My Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm recipe eBook is now ready so check it out!
After all of those tantalizing soup photos I showed you on Monday, I bet you are craving a delicious bowl of soup by now! So I wanted to share one of my soup recipes with you. This oil free vegan Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup is one of my favourites, it’s so hearty and filling and bursting with flavour. You’re going to want to make this soon!
An insider tip I have for you is to make your own vegetable broth (my recipe is here) and fresh black beans (instead of canned) for the absolute best taste. But if you’re in a hurry, you can always use canned black beans. For packaged vegetable broth the best substitute seems to be Pacific Natural Foods Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth. Roasted cumin and chipotle chili powder bring great flavour to this recipe. If you can find it over the regular versions it adds a really nice smokey flavour to the soup. I use McCormick roasted cumin, you can get it on Amazon or at places like Walmart or some grocery stores. This is probably my favourite seasoning and I go through more of it than any other spice. You’ll definitely use it a lot if you make my recipes. I also use Frontier organic chipotle powder in all of my Mexican dishes and it’s amazing in vegan chili too.
Now on to the recipe!
Low Fat Vegan Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
5 cups/1.25 qts./1.2 L of vegetable broth (homemade or low sodium)
4 15 oz./425 g cans of black beans, low sodium (or 7 cups cooked) undrained
1 15 oz./425 g can of whole sweet corn, drained (salt free, unsweetened)
1 14.5 oz./411 g can of fire roasted tomatoes, diced (I use Muir Glen Organics)
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. roasted ground cumin (or regular cumin)
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. Herbamare or salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp. sugar or sweetener (if needed)
Juice of 1 small lime
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped to garnish
Directions:
1. In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrots and garlic in 1 cup of vegetable broth over medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Add chipotle chili powder, roasted cumin, and black pepper and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the remaining vegetable broth, 4 cups (or 2.5 cans) of beans, and sweet corn. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Add remaining 3 cups (or 1.5 cans) of beans and crushed tomatoes to a Vitamix or blender and process until smooth. Stir into soup when boiling, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes until beans and vegetables are done to your desired tenderness.
3. Taste test. Add Herbamare or salt to taste and lime juice. If your soup is a little too tangy or bitter, you can add a little sugar to balance the flavor if desired.
4. Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro
Nutrition Facts: 8 Servings Amount Per Serving: Calories 225.8 Total Fat 0.2 g Saturated Fat 0.0 g Sodium 485.5 mg Carbs 42.6 g Dietary Fiber 16.9 g Sugars 4.1 g Protein 13.6 g
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So now on to the contest for the second copy of my Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm eBook! This second contest entails a little more than the last one. If you complete it, your chances of winning are much much higher!
—–>How You Can Win The Second Copy of My eBook<—–
Contest is Closed
To be entered you need to post a comment on this article and let me know what you think of the Mexican Black Bean Corn Soup, AND you need to pick 4 other recipes on my blog and comment on them as well. If you can number your FIFTH (#5) comment (to show you are done) when you post it on another recipe, it will also help me track them. Comment #1 can be done here.
But, good new for those of you who have been following along and commenting on my recipes, your old comments on my recipes count too. So if you’ve already commented on one or two recipes, those count and you just have to comment on this one and make sure you have 5 comments total. If you number your 5th comment to let me know you’ve completed the challenge, it will be helpful for me to track.
I will take all of the commenters with 5 comments on recipe posts (including this one) and enter them into a random draw to win a second copy of my recipe eBook. The contest closes on Saturday March 24th at midnight EST/9pm PST and then I will announce the winner on Monday March 26th. Make sure you’re signed up to my newsletter to find out if you’ve won! (You can sign up on the top right of this page in the bright pink box.)
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The winner of the second copy of Comfort Soups To Keep You Warm is Vicky Johnston! Congratulations Vicky!
My recipe book is now available!
Hi Veronica,
This soup looks delicious!! I bought the e-book version of your Comfort Soups to Keep You Warm and I was wondering, would it be possible to use a slow cooker to make them and if so, do you have any recommendations on how many hours and on high or low? Thank you and thank you for all the wonderful recipes and information you put out on your website. I’m excited about eating healthier!!
Just made this soup. Fantastic! Every other black bean soup I have tried from the internet has been bland and pretty awful. This one is a winner! Thank you so much. Every recipe of yours I try is a winner 🙂
Oh I’m so glad! I only share delicious recipes on my blog, ones that I know I would eat again and again. That soup is one of my favorites too! Enjoy
I made this awesome soup yesterday and my husband loved it! We have been trying to eat healthier, staying away from oils, salt and fat; this recipe fit the bill. I added a few more ingredients. Instead of using canned fire roasted tomatoes I roasted fresh tomatoes and green chiles on the grill. What a tasty addition! The flavor of this soup is unbelievable, I can’t wait to try other recipes on your website! Thank you!
Veronica,
Your homemade broth is simmering on the stove as I write this…the smell permeating the house on a cool fall morning..it is comforting!
What do you do with the vegetables when you are finished with them?
I can’t throw them out, or into the compost….
Your feedback is appreciated.
Hi Susan
I make a lot of vegetable broth and so I find it can be overwhelming to try and use up all the leftover tasteless vegetables and seasonings from the broth. Essentially they are just fiber and don’t taste like much. You can puree them to use as a natural thickener for sauces and stews, but there’s so much leftovers I never use it all and so I just put it in the garberator or compost it. You sucked all the flavor out of the vegetables by making stock, and most of the vitamins and minerals are in the broth now anyway.
1.
All your food looks so good. I am learning about different spices I never knew about as well. I never knew there was such a thing as roasted cumin. I am going to hunt it down .
I think I could live off soup and salads!
warmly,
Nancy
So far only 5 contestants have qualified to win a second copy of my book! Just follow the directions to enter and win!
This soup sounds really yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
I love your soups…the bean soup is good too…but the Corn/Potato Chowder is my favorite………………….
Janabeth Taylor
#5
Mmm… this looks delicious. Homemade roasted cumin is so much better than just regular; I didn’t know you could buy roasted cumin! I also like the idea of blending some of the mixture. I do that a lot too. It makes such a creamy sauce! Unfortunately, I am in the UK right now and haven’t seen chipotle chili powder. Do you think smoked paprika would work as a substitute? I will have to keep a look out for that!
Smoked paprika has a totally different taste, I use that a lot too, but not for Mexican food. Maybe more Middle Eastern and Indian food and to sprinkle on mild things.
Chipotle peppers really give a smokey barbecue flavour to things. Perhaps there are specialty spice companies or Amazon.co.uk has some more selections. You can use regular chili pepper if you want, I just really really like this soup the best with roasted cumin and chipotle. One time I made it without chipotle (I ran out) and I tried smoked paprika and I didn’t taste much of it in the recipe. Black beans are very dense and eat up a lot of flavour so you need a lot of it, if it’s the base of a recipe.
#1
Hi Veronica,
I’ve always been a big fan of collecting hearty soup recipes, especially the creamy ones, though unfortunately most of which are loaded with fat by using tons of aninmal product, nuts or oil. I’m so excited that finally find someone cooking soups the light way 🙂 I tried a few of your recipes and found them quite satiating while tasty.
I love the way you present your recipes, clear instructions with beautiful photograghs and very easy to follow. I’m living in Beijing, China but thanks to the online shopping and grocery stores tergeting the expats, I could easily find all the seasonings (no matter how exotic). As to the canned ingredients, there’s no big problem bcz you suggest the oz/cup to substitute. However, speaking of the fresh ingredients like veggies and fruits, I’ve no idea how much raw materials should I use to reproduce the original taste. Taking onions for example, I used the number of regular sized local variety following the recipes but always found the taste turns out too tangy. So I’m guessing the differeance between size of local produces matters. It will be really helpful if you could specify the oz/cup of fresh ingredients in your recipe.
Thanks for sharing your creations!
camille
Hi Camille,
I always use large onions in my recipes, I have never had a recipe taste too oniony. I am not sure what you mean by too tangy.
When I use carrots, celery and onions in recipes it doesn’t really matter the exact size. Most people do not want to weigh out each vegetable to make a recipe. Only if it’s the base of something I might give it in cups chopped if it’s essential.
But 1 large onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery in a recipe for a little flavour and bulk does not need to be exact to the gram. Just use standard size ones unless I specify large.
Every one weighs a different amount and it would be very arbitrary of me to weigh it when I make the recipe once and then when I make it again the weights would be all slightly different.
I list weights when using squash as they can vary largely, but not for onions, carrots and celery, they are not the base of the recipe, as long as they are in there and you cook the onions enough first and they are not crunchy it will be fine.
Also what are you cooking in? Are you using oil? A packaged vegetable broth? Packaged vegetable broth recipes are so different and can make a major change in the flavour. So this is why i use homemade broth. You might have to add some sweetener if you use packaged vegetable broth and it’s too bitter or sour to balance the flavour out.
No two soups are the same, it’s pretty impossible to be. But I give very close directions to get the best tasting outcomes yourself from my trials.
How big is “large” you refer to? Size of a woman’s fist? Is it white or purple? I assume the white has the mildest flavor.
Re the liquid in my cooking, I use water only, without oil. I’ll keep experimenting on the amount.
Btw, is there any way to track my comments? I got your replies on each of my comment but never recieved an email notification (unlike on most websites).
Do you mean onions? I use yellow cooking onions or sweet cooking onions. White are generally used for raw salsas and salads. I dont use purple onions. Do you mean red? I use red in Greek recipes or raw salads only. They are large. A bit larger than my fist.
You cook your soups with only water as the base? No vegetable broth at all? That might be why it doesnt taste right.
You have to select to recieve replies, it doesnt do it without your consent. http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2009/01/09/subscribe-to-comments/
So far only 3 people have qualified for this contest! Your chances of winning are very high if you enter! Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Thanks Veronica,
For selecting me as the winner. I am eagerly awaiting the recipe book.
Thank you very mach!
I like the fact that you take some of the beans and tomatoes and blend them to add into the soup to thicken it.
Yes this makes it much heartier and creamier, I wouldn’t make it without doing this. 🙂
This recipe looks divine … thanks Veronica! It has been so delightful watching you blossom in this past year!
I wanted to share this good news with anyone who hasn’t heard …
Eden now offers organic tomatoes in glass!
http://guide.thesoftlanding.com/eden-foods-finds-a-better-solution-to-bpa-lined-cans-for-tomatoes-and-sauces/
Thanks Laurie!
I’ve just been behind the scenes, but now that I have my own website I can share with you all what I’ve been up to!
I use Muir Glen organic roasted tomatoes, they come in BPA free cans now and have switched since last year. I have to buy these in the States and bring them back to Canada. I have not seen canned tomatoes in glass yet available. Maybe they will eventually make it here!
#1 Wow, this does look delicious! We will be making this soon!
Hi Veronica, this is a good recipe for people who are not into raw vegan food yet like many of my relatives and friends. I am sure it is a tasty and comforting treat. If we will be using fresh (not canned) ingredients for the corn, how many cups is that? I presume one cup of corn kernels. since it is 115 g.
Its about 1 and 3/4 cups of corn.
Thank you, Veronica, for the sneak peak, I’m excited about your new book! I hope you’ll include at least one recipe for homemade vegetable broth. I’m very interested in making low fat low sodium vegan broths that could ideally be made in a slow cooker.
Hi Rena there are 2 vegetable broth recipes in the book, I also posted them on the blog. I use the pressure cooker myself because its faster. I don’t have all day to wait for broth when I want to make soup soon. I like the crock pot for when you have to cook something slow and long all day, like stew or split peas, but vegetable broth does not need to be cooked for so long just to get flavour into the broth. If you overcook it it can be very bitter as well.
2 more comments on my recipes and you’re entered for the contest Rena!
#1 I am very cautious about the ingredients like refined sugar, chili powder, garlic. There are lots of discussion about the negative health aspects of those ingredients. I personal leave them out, when in doubt I try to not eat stuff that can’t be eaten in large amounts to form a meal. I have never seen a wild primate eating peppers or garlic.
That’s not a good enough reasoning to not do something when science shows these things like garlic and peppers have natural immune boosters, anti cancer properties and anti oxidents.
We are not wild primates. Should we not wear clothes because they don’t? Not use the computer? Not use the internet? Not read and sing songs? We are human and have been doing these things for thousands and thousands of years. We are not natural in the same sense as wild animals. We have choices and a modern society. If we were still wild we would not have many choices what to do with our lives and little choice to be vegan. I’m not vegan because I think it’s natural, I am because it’s healthier and a cleaner way to live that makes me feel great. If onions and garlic and peppers were so toxic ancient cultures all over the world would have stopped using them and yet most do still today. Humans have learned a lot over the centuries about effects of medicinal herbs and plants. These foods are not toxic or life threatening. They don’t trigger strong allergies in people. If modern day health Dr.’s like Dr. Fuhrman reccommend these for health and have the research to prove it I have to say I’m going to side with them over psuedo science and scare tactics of the natural hygiene world that has no scientific basis at all.
My recipes are for getting people to eat more oil free plant foods and get healthy, not for the fringe purist natural hygienists. Generally they don’t want recipes anyway and eat raw and cooked vegetables plain by themselves. That’s not what I’m teaching here. To make the most difference I want to appeal to SAD eaters and those who don’t know how to eat healthy as well as vegetarians that just like tasty food and want more recipes.
Cuddos to you Veronica.