Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon

Black Bean Soup

I have a large dinner party this past weekend and this soup was a huge success!

Ingredients

  • 10 slices Turkey bacon, finely chopped
  • 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 6 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
  • Greek Yogurt, for garnish
  • Mozzerella Cheese, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Ground Turkey, Black Bean andCous Cous Salad

Ground Turkey, Black Bean, & Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

8 green onions, chopped

1 med yellow onion, sliced finely

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sautée green bell pepper and onion. Once soft add in ground turkey and brown- set aside

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous.

Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well.

Stir in ground turkey mixture

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.