Organic Recipe Friday: Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup

Fall Colors in a Bowl of Soup

One of my favorite aspects of fall is the foliage. Lucky for me, I live in what some people call the City of Trees, a city home to more than 300 tree species. I love seeing the reds, oranges, yellows – and the greens – splashed all over the place. So when I considered the sweet potatoes, red bell peppers and green beans I recently got from my CSA, I had a minor eureka moment. I will chop them up, add some turmeric and have the colors of fall in a bowl!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup:

• Serves 5
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (1/2- to 3/4-inch dice)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 hot pepper, minced with most seeds removed
• 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup (or more) green beans, cut in one-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

(If you’d like to get a couple more servings from this, add another sweet potato and another can of black beans.)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add onion. Saute until onion turns translucent. Add garlic and, after about a minute or two, add sweet potato. After a few minutes, add all or most of tomatoes and water or broth and bring to low simmer. After 10 minutes, add remaining ingredients and cook until sweet potato can be easily pierced with a fork.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC User (& author) bornOKthefirsttime