Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup with Lime

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 3/4 – 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground fennel
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups homemade vegetable or chicken stock
• Salt to taste
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
• Greek yogurt or sour cream for serving
• Lime wedges to squeeze into the soup, optional

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the diced onion and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until the onion is beginning to take on a little color.
2. Add the minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel, and fresh-ground black pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, just until the spices smell toasty and fragrant.
3. While the onion cooks, peel and chop the sweet potato, and rinse the beans until the foamy bubbles are gone. Drain the beans well.
4. Once the onion and spice mixture is ready, add the diced sweet potatoes, black beans, and vegetable or chicken stock to the pot. Season with salt to taste.
5. Simmer the soup over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft enough to fall apart. As the soup cooks, some foam from the beans may collect on the surface; skim it away with a large spoon or stock skimmer.
6. When the sweet potatoes are tender, scoop out 3 cups of the beans and sweet potatoes with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Puree the soup left in the pot with an immersion blender, or transfer it carefully to a regular blender. If using a regular blender, work with the hot soup cautiously: fill the jar only about 3/4 full, and hold the lid down with a towel or hot pad.
7. Return the reserved beans and sweet potatoes to the pot, then let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes more.
8. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Stir in the lime juice and continue simmering for about 5 minutes.
9. Serve the soup hot, topped with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream.
10. If you like, put out lime wedges so anyone who wants a brighter bowl can squeeze in extra lime juice.