27 May 2013

* 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.

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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

Spicy Butternut and Black Bean Soup Recipe

Lightly adapted from Taste Of Home

8 comments :

  1. This looks fabulous, Abbe! I could go meatless with something that looks this gooOoOd ^.^

    I had no idea there was a 'Meatless Monday'...will be googling this up..lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sharon! There's sooo much going on in the food blogging world that I had no clue about. I'm still finding out new stuff all the time, too :D

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  2. Hi Abbe,

    Nice to know you via blogging.

    Your pumpkin soup looks great. I love to have meatless meals as much as possible but my cooking is sometimes restricted by meat-loving son and husband.

    Happy to be follow you via Twitter.

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Zoe, it's nice to meet you too! And thankyou, I'm glad you like the looks of the soup. My hubby and son are meat lovers too, but don't mind going without it occasionally ;) Xxx

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  3. I can feel the warmth and goodness of this soup coming off the screen!!! Love all of the ingredients! I've never seen cream cheese used as the dairy component in a soup, but it makes sense. Very clever my dear! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks MJ! I'm always having to use up cream cheese - I buy so much of it - so sticking it in a soup seemed inevitable ;-) You have a great week too xx

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  4. I'm wondering how many ounces and calories would make up one serving?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hmm these look delicious, thanks for posting up this recipe, looks quite simple to make.


    Simon

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for dropping in to read my recipes (and ramblings). I love it when you let me know what you think - so please leave a comment and I promise to take the time to reply!

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