#failproofers (and hopefully non-failproofers, too!): we’re eating real food this week! If you haven’t jumped on the real food bandwagon yet, this is your chance. Take this week to fall in love with the simplicity and deliciousness of sticking to real food; the results will follow. Tired of healthy food that tastes healthy? This recipe is for you. It’s warm, comforting and filling enough to fuel your body without weighing you down. It’s delicious enough that you’ll eat through the leftovers without giving in to the ‘let’s just order Seamless’ temptation.

black bean soup with sweet potato croutonsIMG_2938

ingredients:

  • 1 lb. dried black beans
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly minced
  • 1 jalapeño, sliced (to decrease level of spice, remove seeds)
  • 1 tbsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. coriander
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (double this for extra heat!)
  • 8 cups of vegetable broth
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • sea salt, to taste

directions:

  1. Soak dried beans in water overnight, or for at least 6 hours. Once soaked, rinse under cold water for a minute.
  2. Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots and celery for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno and spices, and saute for another minute.
  3. Add beans and vegetable broth to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for one hour.
  4. While the soup is cooking, pre-heat oven to 450ºF. Toss sweet potatoes with coconut oil and sea salt (to taste), arrange on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway.
  5. Once soup is cooked through (black beans should be fork tender), puree with an immersion blender. Season with salt to taste (add 1/4 teaspoon at a time; amount needed will depend on the level of salt in your vegetable broth) and additional cayenne pepper if desired. Stir in lime juice.
  6. Top each bowl of soup with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sweet potato croutons.