Black Bean Soup and Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Black Bean Soup

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
  
• 1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies (I use a few diced pickled jalapeños - it's cheap!)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chili (I remove the seeds to cut the heat)
  
• 1-tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 red pepper diced 
• 1 to 2 cups of frozen corn
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, undrained
  
• 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
  
• 8 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  
• Sour cream
  
• Tortilla chips 
  
• 1 lb ground beef
• Taco Seasoning

Directions

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. 

2.  Add onion, green chilies, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, celery and red pepper. Sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add beans with juices and broth. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. 

4. While the soup is simmering brown the ground beef and break it up. When it is browned mix it with the Taco Seasoning. Add the beef to the soup once it is pureed.  

5. Puree 3 cups soup in batches in blender. Return puree to same pot. 

6. Mix in 6 tablespoons cilantro. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Add the frozen corn and cooke for a few minutes longer.  

7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. 

NOTE:

Ok when pureeing in  a blender I have an important..... lesson for you - don't use the high speed. Rather use a slow speed and pulse until it is well pureed. ALSO I would take the little piece out of the top of the blender. if not you are likely to suffer the same fate as me .... being covered in yummy soup and having your kitchen covered in yummy soup.

Here is the soup all mixed and pureed.

We also added some frozen veggies at the end to kick up the veggie and health factor!

We also had Monte Cristo Sandwhich (taken from RR on Food Network  however I use a different black bean soup recipe.

Ingredients

• 8 slices white sandwich bread
  
• 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly or: chili sauce, tomatillo or tomato salsa, taco sauce – whichever you have on hand
  
• 8 slices honey baked ham, from the deli counter
  
• 8 slices Pepper Jack cheese, from the deli counter
  
• 8 slices smoked turkey, from the deli counter
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• A splash of milk
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 
  

1. Spread bread with a light layer of pepper jelly then build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese and turkey per sandwich. 

2. Beat eggs with milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce and season the eggs with a little salt. 

3. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet. 

4. Dip each sandwich in egg coating and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt cheese and warm the meats through.

This is the spread I use and I LOVE it. I also is really good on wraps with ham and cream cheese!

However some people in our house do not like this and prefer a sweet chili sauce.

HERE IS THE FINAL RESULT!