Mexican Ham and Bean Soup

A perfectly sweet partner for this filling soup is our molasses bread.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon cilantro)

Ingredients

• 1  pound  dried pinto beans
• 8  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 2  cups  water
• 1 1/2  cups  cubed smoked ham steak (about 8 ounces)
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 3  bay leaves
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1  chipotle chile (or dried ancho or pasilla chile)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2  cup  minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (broth through garlic) in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Partially cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Stir in tomatoes and chile; simmer 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and chile. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top with cheese; sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

303 (12% from fat)

Fat:

4.2g (sat 1.8g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

20.3g

Carbohydrate:

46.8g

Fiber:

16.1g

Cholesterol:

22mg

Iron:

4.3mg

Sodium:

958mg

Calcium:

153mg