Creamy Black Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes
4 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 red bell pepper, quartered and de-seeded
1/2 sweet yellow onion, cut into large chunks
1 whole head of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cans low-sodium or no-salt-added black beans, undrained
4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons lime juice
garnish
1/2 cup grated part-skim cheese
1/2 cup non-fat/low-fat sour cream
diced green onions
tortilla chips
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes, pepper and onion on the baking sheet. Slice the head of garlic in half, horizontally, to expose all the cloves. Place the two garlic halves on small squares of foil. Drizzle the vegetables and garlic with the oil, then season with salt and pepper. Wrap up the garlic in the foil squares and place on the baking sheet. Roast vegetables for 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to peel the skins off the tomatoes and pepper, and to scoop the roasted garlic out of the cloves.
In a large stockpot, combine the roasted vegetables (including all the garlic - don't be afraid - the roasted garlic is very mellow and won't overpower the soup). Add the beans, in their juices, and the broth. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
Add the cumin, chili powder, cayenne, nutmeg and cocoa, and more salt to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until thick and flavorful. Before serving, stir the lime juice into the soup.
Serve with grated cheddar cheese, non-fat sour cream, sliced green onions and tortilla chips.
Yields 8 servings.
Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 7 points per serving, including a tablespoon each of grated cheese and sour cream, and 10 tortilla chips
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen