Join Me For Lunch: Black Bean Soup and Quinoa Tabbouleh

This week I made myself a smoky and spicy Black Bean Soup for lunch, with a side of a fresh, protein and calcium rich Quinoa Tabbouleh salad.  With a side of Corn Chips, this made a delicious and filling lunch!

Read the recipes after the jump!

Black Bean Soup
This soup is SPICY.  Chile Peppers in Adobo Sauce are what gives this soup its smoky and spicy flavour, the lime and corn is what brightens it.

Serves 6 hungry people.

Ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Large Onion, Diced
• 5 Garlic Cloves, Minced (go big or go home)
• 1 Yellow Pepper, Diced
• 1 Orange Pepper, Diced
• 1 Tbsp of Oregano
• 1 Tbsp of Cumin
• 1 pinch of thyme
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 3 Tbsp of Chile Peppers in Adobo Sauce (crush the chiles up a bit before you put them in the soup)
• 4 Cups of Black Beans (cooked)
• 2-3 Medium sized Tomatoes, Diced
• 5 Cups of Vegetable Stock
• 1 Cup of Whole Corn Kernels
• 1 Lime, juiced
• Cilantro, Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large stock pot, heat Olive Oil on medium heat and sauté the Garlic and Onion until transparent.
2. Add in the Yellow and Orange Peppers, and sauté until the colours are bright (about 3 Minutes)
3. Add all the Spices and Chile Peppers in Adobo Sauce, toast until fragrant.
4. Add Vegetable stock, Black Beans, Tomatoes, and Corn Kernels.  Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Before serving, add the Lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with Cilantro and enjoy!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

The large amounts of fresh parsley in this salad make it high in calcium, and the quinoa makes it high in protein.  This is a super side salad.

Serves 6 hungry people.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Fresh Parsley, Chopped
• 2 Cups of Cooked Quinoa (room temperature or cold)
• 1 large Tomato, Diced
• 1/2 of a Cucumber, Diced
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Thyme, and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine Parsley, Quinoa, Tomato, and Cucumber into a large serving bowl
2. Drizzle Lemon Juice and Olive oil over the salad for a dressing
3. Add Thyme and Pepper to your taste.  Serve cold.