Healthy Comfort Food

This warm and hearty soup is ideal for melting away a blustery winter day. Though it only takes about 20 minutes to make, the truly busy can fix it in the morning and reheat it at the end of a long day. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy, this dish will bring the whole family to the table.

Three-Bean Soup

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 -1 tsp. ground chipotle chile
• 4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can red beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped and divided
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 30 baked yellow corn chips (whole grain preferably)
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

In large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and green pepper, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Add broth, canned tomatoes with their liquid, beans, 1/2 cup of cilantro and dried oregano. Bring liquid to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Let soup cool at least 30 minutes to increase flavor, then reheat before serving. Or, refrigerate soup up to 4 days.

To serve, reheat soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble 5 corn chips each into bottom of 8 bowls. Ladle soup over chips. Garnish each bowl with remaining chopped cilantro and lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 230 calories, 7 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 32 g carbohydrate,
10 g protein, 8 g dietary fiber, 480 mg sodium.

From AICR.org