I love the change of Season...it means new meal options!

Every year, when the weather cools, I get so excited to break out my favorite cool weather recipes. Last night, I decided to make Black Bean and Salsa Soup....I never get tired of this one! The best part of this recipe, the ingredients are so easy to keep in the pantry for a quick and healthy meal!

This recipe is vegetarian as written, but I use homemade chicken broth instead. You need 2 cans of Black Beans (I use the reduced sodium), 1 jar of  salsa (I like Medium and I usually use whatever is on sale), cumin and stock/broth. I also like to add onion and garlic to mine.

Since I puree the whole pot when I am done, I never chop anything. Cook one onion and a few cloves of garlic in a little of the chicken broth over medium heat.  I cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes.

Rinse and drain both cans of beans and add to the pot with the salsa and cumin. I usually double the cumin because I love cumin!

At this point, throw the mix into your blender, use a potato masher or an immersion blender to puree. I season to taste with black pepper and salt. You can add more cumin or chili powder for a little kick!

I love this topped with cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Fresh tomatoes are a great addition as well. I don't like sour cream, but the original recipe calls for sour cream and sliced green onions. Any way you top it, this is one delicious dinner! ***Bonus- it freezes beautifully***

Who knew I loved Black Beans so much??

I've been looking for "healthy" meals I can eat during the week, that can be easily prepared for just me when Mark is working. I've eyeballed this recipe several times and decided to take a stab at it...and I'm glad I did!! Tonight's feature- Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers.

First- the ingredients:

Bread Crumbs
Black Beans
Onion
Garlic
Green Pepper
Carrots (I added this)
Hot sauce
Cumin
Chili Powder
Egg
And I added a dash of salt

Throw all the veggies in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.


Drain and rinse black beans and dry on a few paper towels.


I drained my veggie mixture to get rid of the extra moisture. Stir into the mashed black beans.


Add bread crumbs, spices and egg. I needed a little more bread crumbs than the recipe called for.

I used a lid with a little plastic wrap to shape these. They were pretty soft.


I doubled the recipe so I would have a stash in the freezer. It made 9 burger patties.


I also made a little chipotle mayo to but on top. 1/2 cup light mayo, 3 chipotles, 1 spoonful of adobo sauce and 1 clove of garlic, plus a pinch of salt.


After completing my project, the quickest option was to cook one up on the stove top. I used a little cooking spray and it browned nicely on both sides.


Served on a whole wheat bun with a little pepper jack cheese, lettuce and tomato. Spicy and delicious!!


I will make this recipe again, but they are pretty soft. I would like to try adding some flax meal or oatmeal in place of the bread crumbs...but the taste was great!