Health knowledge made personal
 Looking for a fast, light dinner after being out and about all day, my Mom pulled out a quick and easy Black Bean Soup recipe she had clipped from a magazine. Unfortunately she doesn't know which magazine so this one will have to go uncredited for now. It is a simple pantry soup and would be a good starting point for adding more spice and other ingredients too  Black Bean Soup Recipe Origin: Unknown Magazine (Makes 4-6 Servings) 5 slices bacon, finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, minced (add a couple more cloves) 4 (15.25 oz) cans, black beans, drained 2 (14oz) cans chicken broth 1 tsp ground cumin (use 2 tsps) 1 tsp chili powder (1 & 1/4 tsp or to taste) Garnish: sour cream, minced chives In a medium Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add beans, broth, cumin, and chili powder. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. In the container of a blender, spoon half of soup; process until almost smooth. Return processed mixture to Dutch oven, stirring to combine. Garnish with sour cream and chives if desired. Serve immediately.  Notes/Results: Pretty good for a quick bowl of soup--not the best black bean soup I have ever eaten but good. The bacon adds a nice bit of smokiness but I would also recommend adding more cumin and garlic than the recipe calls for and also upping the chili powder if you want it to have a kick. (I put the changes in red on the recipe). We garnished with some lite sour cream, a little grated cheddar for color and some green onions. Along with some warm biscuits, It made for a tasty, low-effort dinner.  With the Christmas holiday this week, it is a bit quiet in the Souper Sunday Kitchen but we have a few hardy souls who popped in to share their soups. Heather of girlichef made this lovely Fiery Squash & Three-Corn Stew and says, "I think I've begun a new tradition in our home...making soup to celebrate the Solstice! I made a nice, autumn soup for the Autumnal Solstice...and now...a fiery, earthy, hearty stew to ring in the Winter Solstice! My stew uses corn in three forms...sweet kernel corn, yellow hominy and white hominy....plus, its fire comes from the use of those earthy, dried chile peppers...and another Native American staple, squash." Sounds like the perfect tradition to me.  Here with a hybrid dish that has elements of both soup and salad is Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies and her Lasoon Jhinga (Garlic Shrimp with a Coconut Sauce). Natashya says, "This recipe for Garlic Shrimp with a Coconut Sauce is from 660 Curries, a book that has yet to let me down. Big on flavour, the dish wakens your senses and warms your soul. I served it on a bed of brown basmati rice, which was spooned onto a plate of baby spinach."  Finally our sandwich category is represented this week by the Graziana from Erbe in Cucina (Cooking with Herbs) and her Green Sauce Sandwich. She says, "Green Sauce is a traditional Italian recipe, served with capon for Chrismas." A blend of bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, hard boiled egg, anchovy, pine nuts and capers, Graziana says that the green sauce makes a wonderful sandwich spread too--with ham and cheese.  And there we have it, a few very unique and delicious-sounding recipes. Thanks to Heather, Natashya and Graziana for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad sandwich, or combination of any of the three that you would like to share, click on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar for all of the details. *Note: Souper Sundays is posting a few hours before the normal deadline today as I am still in Portland and off for some shopping, a movie and then some dinner. If any additional entries happen to come in, I will add them tonight when I return. Enjoy your Sunday and your week! 
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