Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon

Soups, Travel

I had gumbo with chicken and Andouille sausage for dinner tonight, followed by hot chocolate and beignets – yep, I’m in New Orleans! I’m here for a scientific conference and walked around the city tonight for a couple hours after my talk this afternoon. I was stressed about the talk (which thankfully, went really well!), so it great to finally blow off some steam!

There’s a music festival in the French Quarter this weekend with over 150 bands playing on 17 different stages, so it was really fun people watching – everyone was dancing and chowing down on food and drinks from the various vendors. I still have “When the Saints Go Marching In” stuck in my head! I had a bowl of gumbo, and then went back and got another because it was so good. I know, I know, I should have sampled something different, but I just couldn’t help myself! I’ll have to check out some other New Orleans’ favorites tomorrow. I’m already looking forward to the extra beignets I snagged for breakfast tomorrow.

After having all that delicious gumbo, I was inspired to post one of my favorite soup recipes. Black bean soup is so flavorful and healthy. It’s definitely not the most beautiful meal out there, but it’s a tasty one pot meal that involves minimal clean up!

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Turkey Bacon
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
8 slices turkey bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:
Cook turkey bacon, 4 pieces at a time, in a large stockpot over medium heat. Remove cooked bacon and crumble. Add olive oil to the same pan the bacon was cooked in and sauté carrots and onions until soft. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Add chicken stock, black beans, cumin, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and bacon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender and puree to desired smoothness (I like to leave mine a tad chunky!). Mix red wine vinegar and corn starch in a small dish, and add to the soup. Simmer another 5 minutes or until desired thickness is reached. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 344 calories, 9.7g fat, 11.6g fiber, 20.0g protein per serving
Cost: $0.69 per serving

Asparagus Arugula Salad with Ricotta and Goat Cheese

Time for our anniversary trip recap! Apolinaras and I got married over Memorial Day weekend in 2004 and we always try to take a little vacation over the holiday weekend to celebrate. This year we went to Portland, Maine, which is a super fun foodie destination right...

Spinach and Lentil Soup

If you follow me on twitter, you may have noticed that I’ve been raving about Apolinaras’ spinach and lentil soup. He has tweaked the recipe to perfection and it’s so good that I find myself filling up a bowl with it instead of ice cream for my late night snack. Don’t...

Egg, Bacon, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

Having just visited San Diego last fall for our friend Renee’s wedding, I decided to take it easy on the tourist attractions during this trip and instead use my time off from the conference to unwind. I slept in late, ate breakfast while enjoying the amazing views...

Sesame Chicken with Soba Noodles

I spent the last week at a science conference in Colorado – check out the gorgeous views! While most people ski during the afternoon breaks at Keystone meetings, I decided against pushing my luck with my poor knee that has been acting up again when I jog. I did get to...

Orange Roasted Chicken

Time for part 2 of our New Zealand adventure (you can check out part 1 here)! After visiting Rotorua, we drove down to see Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand, which fills a caldera created by a huge volcanic eruption, and the Huka Waterfalls. Taupo is a...

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of all our goodies from Eva’s farm share this week, but the bounty was similar to last time, except we got green peppers and wheat berries instead of the baby spinach and golden beets. I made quick use of the green peppers in...

New York City Foodie Highlights and Milk Bar Giveaway

There’s nothing quite like NYC during the holidays. The city is all decked out and just so festive! We were fortunate to spend a couple days eating our way through the city with my parents over Christmas. Read on for our foodie highlights and a fun giveaway from Milk...

Fall Breakfast Hash with Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

Apolinaras and I recently traveled to Portland, Oregon, for my dear friend Britt’s wedding. Britt, Annika, and I were inseparable during college and whenever we’re together, it’s like nothing has changed - we had soooo much fun!  Britt and her new hubby Ben were just...