Easy Spicy Black Bean Soup

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day is full of thanks, love, and joy! I want to send a BIG thank you to you all for being such faithful readers! You fill my life with such joy and happiness and this blog would not be a success without you! I have some BIG news for you all! Starting tomorrow I am going to be doing 12 days of daily giveaways!!! 
For the next 12 days along with a free recipe, you will be notified of products that will be given away to lucky readers. So stay tuned each day for the big announcements!

With Thanksgiving today. I am anticipating needing to shed a few more pounds than I already need to. One thing I noticed when I do a lot of exercise, is that I am extra hungry all the time. It really stinks because here I am trying to lose weight and my body is starving for more food. Through some advice and reading, I realized that it is my body starving for more protein. Since I am not a big meat eater, my body is telling me to give it some more food, when I really need to amp up my protein intake. Healthy protein is easy for me. I love black beans. Packed with protein and high flavor, they are always my go-to. I make several types of black bean soups and dishes, but so far this is my favorite. Super easy to make and spicy. Spicy foods also boost your metabolism, so I am all over spicy foods right now! I make this ahead and keep it in the fridge in jars or tupperware. A quick couple minutes in the microwave and I curb my appetite. Sometimes I just eat a little coffee mug full in between meals to keep my stomach happy. 

Easy Spicy Gluten-Free Black Bean Soup

adapted from Epicurious

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (vegetable if vegan)

Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional Garnish:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese (omit if vegan)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. 

Mix in cumin, add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. 

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Using an emersion blender, do a few swirls and blend up about 1/4 of the soup. 

 Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Add cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese if you desire.

Store leftover soup in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week.