Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with Avocado-Mango Salad

I love eating healthy foods. We all fall off the wagon sometimes, but now it's time to get serious again. If you're afraid that all healthy food is rabbit food, then baby, think again. Thanks to Ellie Krieger, Cooking Light, and Cuisine At Home Healthy Eating specials, I find healthy food, everyday food. It's amazing and you'll be surprised that you don't need nearly as much salt, butter and sugar for most dishes! And a added bonus, Ellie's recipe books are so easy to follow! I have both books, "The Food You Crave" and  "So Easy". I highly recommend it if you're looking for a lifestyle change.

I love soup and the temperatures aren't soaring so a nice comforting soup using seasonal veggies is exactly what I had I needed. This soup is so light, flavorful and easy to make. If your child's taste buds can not take spice, omit the chili pepper or use less. I made a few changes to the recipe like the original recipe called for 5 cups of chicken stock, I only used for so I can have a bit more texture. Also didn't use the hot sauce as I use chipotle chili pepper which is very spicy on its own! This recipe is very enjoyable and you can make many variations. Enjoy!!

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup Ingredients

7 medium tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion, cut into large pieces

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 (15.5-oz) cans black beans (preferably low sodium), drained and rinsed

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 375 deg F. Toss the tomatoes, onion and garlic with the oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then transfer to baking sheet. Roast until the garlic cloves have softened, the edges of the onions are browned, and the tomatoes have collapsed, 35-40 minutes, stirring once after the first 20 minutes.

Transfer the roasted vegetable mixture to a 4-quart saucepan. Add the borth, beans, cumin, chili powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender. Stir in the hot sauce. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Avocado-Mango Salad Ingredients 

1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 medium mango, pitted, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced into rounds

4 lime wedges

1/4 tsp salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions 
Place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Arrange 4-5 slices each of avocado and mango, alternating them in a row, into each lettuce cup. Top each with a  few onion rounds, and then squeeze lime wedge over each salad. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

For more recipes by Ellie Krieger, purchase So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger (John Wiley and Sons, Inc.)