Italian-Style Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried black beans
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• lime wedges, chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, diced avocado and/or reduced-fat sour cream for garnish

Makes 8 Servings

1.  Place the beans in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for at least 6 hours or over night. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and remove from the heat.
4. In a 5-to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, bay leaves, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Pour the vegetable mixture over the beans. Cover and cook over high heat for about 5 hours, or until beans are creamy (or cook for 8 hours on low heat.)
5. Discard the bay leaves. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to the slow cooker and stir in the lime juice. Serve  hot with your favorite garnishes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Super Quick Cookbook. This soup is a great way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. It's creamy, flavorful and very soothing. This vegetarian soup is comforting with a kick of cumin. I highly recommend adding tomatoes or avocado to the soup for more flare to kick it up a notch.