Black Bean and Sweet Corn Soup with Cilantro and Lime

I am so happy soup season is here! Soup is the perfect comfort food on a chilly fall day. I always make a big pot so we can have leftovers and freeze some for later. This weekend I made Black Bean and Sweet Corn Soup with Cilantro and Green Chiles.

In the summer, we froze some sweet corn when it was at it's peak. I took some out of the freezer and added it to my black bean soup. I also stirred in cilantro, green chiles, diced tomatoes, spices, and fresh lime juice. This soup is great on it's own, but even better with toppings. I cut up corn tortillas and baked them in the oven. They are crisp and so much better for you than fried tortillas:) I also set out Pepper Jack cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, and avocado slices.

Josh has been working very hard on our basement remodel project. We dug out window wells, added new big windows for extra light, and now Josh is busy sheet rocking, dry walling, painting, etc. It is a disaster downstairs, so I stay upstairs in the kitchen and cook/bake for my handsome, handy husband. It is my contribution:)

Josh doesn't like to take breaks, he is a hard worker, but he did stop to eat a big bowl of my black bean soup. I had all of the fixings ready for him to pile on. He said the soup hit the spot! I am glad he approved.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Soup with Cilantro and Lime

(Printable Recipe)

1 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups sweet corn (ours was frozen, no need to thaw)
1 small jalepeno, minced
1 can diced green chiles
4 cans diced tomatoes (I use low sodium)
4 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I use low sodium)
3 cans vegetable broth (I use low sodium)
2 T chile powder
1 1/2 T cumin
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice from 1 lime

Toppings:
Tortilla strips
Pepper Jack cheese
Avocado slices
Cilantro
Lime wedges

1. In a large soup pot heat olive oil. Add in onion and cook until tender.
2. Add in garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and add in green pepper.
3. Stir in sweet corn, jalepeno, green chiles. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes and black beans. Next, add the vegetable broth. Stir in the spices, cilantro, and salt/pepper. Squirt in the fresh lime juice.
5. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
6. Taste, you might need to add more seasoning. I always end up adding a few extra dashes of chile powder and cumin.
7. Serve hot. If you want to add toppings, go for it. It makes the soup even better!

If you like this soup, you might also like:
Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro from Kalyn's Kitchen
Black Bean and Quinoa Chili from Closet Cooking
Black Bean Chipotle Soup from A Good Appetite
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup from Two Peas and Their Pod

Recipe for Black Bean Salsa

Happy Friday! Any fun weekend plans? I am determined to feel better today. I still haven't eaten all week, well dry toast, cereal, a little soup, but I want real food today! I miss my kitchen. I really hope I can cook, bake, and workout this weekend. Thanks again for caring about little ol' me!

I am a sweets gal all the way, I usually don't crave salty foods. I do have a little crush on chips and salsa though. Of course it has to be the good stuff. I love fresh salsa with salty chips. Josh makes a killer mango salsa that I love and fresh pico is always good, but this time I made a black bean salsa.

I love black beans, since I don't eat meat they are one of my main sources of protein, so why not add them into my salsa? I love the heartiness it added. I also threw in red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, garlic, onion, and jalapeno. The salsa was very colorful and very tasty! This is a great appetizer for Spring/Summer parties or a healthy snack to munch on. I also enjoyed the salsa on a salad. It is good in so many ways! Enjoy!

**I recently did a photo shoot with Quinn Curtis, from Limelight Food Photography. She is a fabulous food photographer here in Utah. She was in the mood to take pictures and I was in the mood to cook/bake, so we teamed up for a fun photo shoot. It was loads of fun. I will be sharing some of her photos on our blog. She is darling! Check out her site here! Thanks Quinn!**

Black Bean Salsa

(Printable Recipe)

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

Fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl mix the black beans, peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust flavors if necessary.

2. Let chill so flavors can "come out."

3. Eat it up!