Re Sip P of the Week!

Don't have time for a 30 minute meal? Try this Sixty Second Supper!

It's tasty, quick, cheap, nutritious and totally awesome. Read on after the recipe for more exciting info.

Instant Black Bean Soup

• 3 15 ounce cans of black beans (low sodium if possible)
• 1 jar of salsa (any style or hotness you'd like)
• 2 cups of broth (any type you'd like...chicken or vegetable work best)
  

Rinse beans to remove excess salt. Place beans in a medium pot. Add salsa and broth and stir. Bring to a boil then serve!

If you'd like, you can add hot sauce, a dollop of low fat sour cream (or greek yogurt), a little shredded cheese, or chopped green onions. You can also play around with the amounts of the main three ingredients to get the soup where you like it. Trust me, you really can't mess it up.

Aforementioned additional information:

Why is this recipe totally awesome?

1. Black beans contain a hefty portion of fiber and protein. They are also cheap. Try buying a few cans whenever they are on sale and store them away for later. You can use them to make a bean dip or toss them into a salad, or add them to other soups for extra nutritional power. You can even make a tasty side dish by leaving out the broth and just mixing beans and salsa.
2. Salsa tastes great, is low in calories and is made of.....shhhhhh....vegetables. I put salsa on just about anything and everything. One of my favorite uses is as a baked potato topping. When I'm short on time (and/or money), I make a quick meal by buying a $1 baked potato at Wendy's. Then I get it home and add a ton of salsa and maybe a sprinkle of cheese. Look for other good recipes using salsa....it's more than just a dip for chips.
3. Broth can make anything taste good....even bitter greens. Broth is super cheap also. I don't buy the already made stuff, I use bouillon cubes. That way I always have some on hand for soups or sides. Try sauteing (sp?) greens with some onion or garlic then pouring a little broth on them and allowing them to simmer. It will add a great flavor and cut down on some of the bitter taste. Or, use it instead of water when making rice. Or, make soup!
4. Soup is a great way to use low fat, low calorie ingredients to fill you up with tons of nutrition. You can also use it to get rid of leftovers and produce that's about to go bad. Saute an onion and/or garlic. Then add broth. Finally, toss in whatever veggies or low fat meats you have on hand, such as squash, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, celery, beans, green beans, corn, lima beans, broccoli, chicken breast cubes, beef cubes....or anything, really. Add salt, pepper, hot sauce if you want it, and whatever herbs you like (use a good bit because they cook off while the soup simmers.) Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes, but for as long as you'd like....the flavors will come together the longer they linger in the pot. ;) Last night I made a vegetarian borscht with the beets I got for Sir Cakewalk. With the power of the broth and other veggies, I actually liked it! Yay for soup!
   

If you have healthy recipes using black beans, salsa, or a soup idea....please share!

Have a good week!