Quick Black Bean Soup

"Black beans are a huge family favorite. My 19-month-old son eats the beans right out of the can, so I always set some aside for him." —Vicki Miller, Powell, OH

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  chopped red onion
• 1/4  cup  water
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 2  teaspoons  fresh lime juice
• Cooking spray
• 1/4  cup  (2 ounces) finely chopped reduced-fat ham (such as Hormel)

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cans beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Place bean mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return soup to pan. Add remaining 1/2 can of beans to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in juice; set aside.

2. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon ham.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

105 (8% from fat)

Fat:

0.9g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.1g)

Protein:

9g

Carbohydrate:

20.3g

Fiber:

7.1g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

2.4mg

Sodium:

713mg

Calcium:

56mg