* Spicy Butternut and Black Bean Soup {Meatless Mondays}

At last... it's a Monday and I have vegetarian fare to offer up for the band wagon that I am jumping onto - Meatless Mondays.

Before starting a food blog, I had no clue that such a thing existed and quite frankly I think it's brilliant.... and not just because I can finally "Get in there"... honest.

We're a family that don't have issues with meat, one way or the other... or issues with a lack of it - so I do manage to insert the odd meatless meal without anyone actually caring enough to go on a hunger strike. Plus, meat is so bloody expensive that occasionally it helps the budget to miss it out.

I have a friend who once, accidentally (after a few too many glasses of wine), forgot to put the chicken in a chicken supreme. We all ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it (we too were very, very sloshed). The fact that she got away with it, made me deliberately give it a shot a week later, and I made a chickenless chicken stew with dumplings. No one noticed. For years!!! Cheapest stew I ever made. One of the nicest too.

I KNOW that's not the idea behind Meatless Mondays! But a little slip up like that, does make you question your food priorities. Of which I have many. Priority number one being that "Thou must consume one's own body weight in chocolate... on a weekly basis". However, having meat on a daily basis, isn't one of mine, or my familiy's priorities. So... today I get to play.

I can't/won't guarantee that I'll ever join in Meatless Mondays again. I've been food blogging for nearly 9 months and this is the first time that I've coincidentally cooked, eaten and been able to blog meatless fare on a Monday.

So no holding your breath until next Monday...

... because you'll die. For real.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Spicy Butternut and Black Bean Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Total time - 40 minutes

You will need
A medium to large saucepan
A stick/immersion blender

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
10oz/300g butternut squash - peeled and diced
1 large carrot - peeled and finely diced
1 onion - chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes (more if you like it really hot)
2 cloves garlic - crushed
14fl oz/400ml vegetable stock
1 x 14oz/400g can chopped tomatoes
3oz/85g Philadelphia (or other cream cheese)
small handful of fresh basil - chopped
1 x 14oz/400g can black beans - rinsed and drained
3oz/85g frozen sweetcorn
1/2 red pepper - deseeded and diced
1/2 green pepper - deseeded and diced
1 large handful/ 50g young spinach - chopped

Method

• Heat the oil in the saucepan over a low to medium heat and add the butternut, carrot, onion, chilli flakes and cumin. Gently saute for about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and tomatoes - bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Whilst the soup is simmering - place the frozen sweetcorn and diced peppers into a microwaveable bowl. Add about 100ml of water and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Leave to stand.
• Stir the basil and Philadelphia into the soup, then remove from the heat and blend to a smooth puree with the stick blender.
• Drain the sweetcorn and pepper mixture.
• Return the soup to the heat and stir in the black beans and sweetcorn/diced peppers - heat gently for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the spinach. Once wilted, serve immediately.

EAT

Lightly adapted from Taste Of Home