Southwest Bean Soup

This was simple. Nothing fancy, but it was tasty. It was filling and yet not heavy and best of all, both my boys ate it up just fine. That may all have to do with the fact that I put it on top of some quinoa and topped it with some cheese for them, but hey - it was good. The original recipe called for just cumin and chili powder (again) and that just was not enough for me, so with some major doctoring up, this worked for us. My least favorite out of these heart healthy meals, but that could also be due to the fact that this is our fourth meal that has some sort of bean/corn/quinoa mixture. Need. To. Find. New. Recipes. Also, need to spread these bean/rice type meals out so as to not get burnt out on them! But please don't let that mini-rant stop you from trying it out!

Southwest Bean Soup
serves 8-10

• 1 large onion - chopped
• 2 cans black beans - rinsed and drained
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (I would use Italian diced next time)
• 2 cans chicken broth (I did only one since I was putting the quinoa with it)
• 1 can kidney beans - rinsed and drained
• 1 can white cannelloni or white kidney or garbanzo bean - rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 c corn
• 1 1/2 t cumin
• 1 1/2 t chili powder (I used less)
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t Italian spices
• dash or two of allspice

--In a large pot, saute onions (or microwave them in a little white wine) until soft.
--Add remaining ingredients and simmer until heated through - about 10 minutes

You can very easily do this in the crockpot. I made 2 cups of quinoa and added that - very tasty!