As soon as the weather changes and fall is here, it’s like the gears inside us also switch. It starts getting dark sooner, there is a distinct chill in the air, and most important of all……Halloween costumes start appearing in the stores:) Personally, around this time I really start to crave a warm bowl of soup! One of my favorites is a veggie soup that I used to have at Panera. But of course, having it there a few times made me want to try to replicate it at home! So here is my version of the Panera veggie soup with black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. My version I feel has a lot more vegetables and of course lots of beans which increases the protein and fiber! Also my soup I feel is lot more flavorful due to the buffalo sauce, cilantro and ground cumin that I add 🙂 Usually I like to make a meal out of it by adding some Crispy Baked Cajun Potato Fries and some grilled veggies, along with some nice warm rolls or a crusty bread slice. 

Ingredients:

Carrots – 1 large, diced

Celery – 4 stalks, diced

Onion – 1 medium, diced

Green Bell Pepper – ¼ diced

Potato – 1 small, diced

Garlic – 3 cloves, minced

Organic Vegetable Broth – 1 box 32 fl. Oz.

Organic Fire roasted tomatoes – 1 can 14.5 oz. (even regular chopped up tomatoes will work in a pinch)

Acini di pepe pasta – 2 oz. or any other small sized pasta that you have at home (quick tip: even breaking spaghetti into small pieces will work!)

Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce – 1½ t (optional) or any other hot sauce like Tabasco

Black beans – 1 cup (cooked)

Cilantro – handful finely chopped

Salt – 1 ½ t

Black Pepper – ¼ t

Roasted ground cumin powder – ¼ t (add ½ t if you like smoky flavor to be strong)

Oregano – ¼ t

Extra virgin olive oil – 1T

 

Directions:

·         Warm a large pot. Add 1T extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.

·         Add the rest of the diced vegetables except potato.

·         Sauté them for 2-3 minutes till they soften a bit. Then add the potatoes.

·         Stir all the veggies for a bit then add the vegetable broth.

·         Then add the can of fire roasted tomatoes and 2 cans of water.

·         Stir well and add the dry seasonings.

·         Cover and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.

·         Then add the black beans and pasta. Stir really well.

·         Cover and let it simmer for about 40-45 minutes, making sure to stir every 10 minutes so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.

·         Add the buffalo sauce, chopped cilantro and stir well. Taste test now for any additional salt etc.

·         Its ready to be enjoyed with a nice toasted roll or a slice of crusty bread!!

 

 

Nutritional Content:

Total Servings: 10

Per Serving: Calories 105 cal, Carbs 18.9 g, Fiber 3.3 g, Protein 3.6 g, Vit A 18.2%, Vit C 9%