Black Bean Soup

This Mexican classic is packed with fiber and protein, making it a perfect entrée soup. Because this recipe calls for fewer than 10 budget-friendly ingredients and about 20 minutes of cooking time, this dish will easily be on your table in no time.
 

Ingredients

Servings 4

• Cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium fresh jalapeño, seeds and ribs discarded, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce cans no-salt-added black beans, undrained
• 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Lightly spray a large pot with cooking spray.
2. Cook the onion over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until very soft, stirring frequently. Stir in the jalapeño, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the beans with liquid. Lightly mash them using a potato masher or fork. Stir in the tomatoes with liquid and broth. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Serve the soup topped with the cilantro.

Tip: To save money, buy the store brand of canned beans with the least amount of sodium. Look for "no-salt-added" and "reduced-sodium" options. An unopened can of beans can last up to two years in a pantry, so stock up when they go on sale.
 

Keep it healthy: Be sure to shop for no-salt-added or reduced-sodium canned beans (for all types) since there's a big difference in the varieties. For example, a half-cup serving of regular canned beans contains between 350 and 565 milligrams of sodium. By comparison, the same quantity in the reduced-sodium version has about 220 milligrams, and the no-salt-added version has even less, only 15 milligrams.

Source: American Heart Association