Heart-Healthy Black Bean Soup

Some days you just don’t feel like cooking. A slow cooker is perfect for those kind of days—most recipes require very little prep besides throwing the ingredients into the pot and leaving it for several hours. Best of all, slow cookers make cleanup a breeze since it’s mostly cooked in just one pot.

This healthy black bean soup recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free and low in sodium. And thanks to its high fiber and protein content, it’ll also fill you up while boosting your heart health.

Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and cut into quarters
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 ½ cups diced onion
• ⅓ cup chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 avocado, peel removed and diced
• ⅓ cup diced green onion tops for garnish

Directions:

1. Turn broiler on. Place red bell pepper quarters on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until skin starts to bubble and turns black. Remove from oven and transfer to a glass bowl. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator.
2. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine black beans, broth, water, onion, green bell pepper, chipotle peppers, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, garlic and lime juice. Stir and cook on high for 6 hours.
3. Just before serving, remove the red peppers from the refrigerator. Dice the peppers and toss with olive oil.
4. Use a ladle to pour soup into bowls. Add diced avocado, diced green onion tops and red peppers. Serve warm.