This hearty and comforting soup features black beans, onion, garlic, lemon juice and some Mexican seasonings. I love thick black bean soup, if you like yours thinner, feel free to add some more water. It’s raining in my place, so I make this soup with canned black beans also you can make similar soup with dried beans in slow cooker, that tastes more flavorful. Try this healthy, low fat, high in antioxidants vegetarian soup recipe that will warm up your family in less than 20 mins. If you are in diet to lose weight, this is a great recipe for you.

    Ingredients

       1 Can (15 oz) of Cooked Black Beans
       1/4 Cup of Chopped Yellow Onion
       1 Big Garlic Cloves, Chopped
       1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo sauce
       1/2 Tsp of Mexican Oregano
       1/2 Tsp of Goya Adobo All Purpose seasoning
       1/2 Tsp of Goya Sazonador Total Seasoning
       Dash of Salt and Pepper
       1 Tsp of Lemon Juice
       1 Cup of Water or Vegetable Broth
       1 Tbsp of Olive Oil or Canola Oil

   To Garnish

        1 Tsp of Chopped Onion
        1 Tbsp of Sour Cream or Yogurt
        5 Tortilla Chips

   Method

• Heat a pan with oil, add chopped onion and garlic, fry for a min.
• Add black beans, water,  Mexican oregano, Goya Adobo all purpose seasoning, Goya sazonador total seasoning, chipotle pepper, salt and pepper, bring it to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 mins. 
• Finally mash some part of black beans with masher or in blender. Check the salt. Add lime juice and mix well. Turn off the stove. Just throw the chipotle pepper before serving.
• Transfer this to a serving bowl. 
• Garnish with a dollop of yogurt, chopped onion and tortilla chips.
• Serve it with toasted whole wheat bread .

    Tips

• Adjust the seasonings according to your taste buds.
• You can follow the same recipe with any beans like red kidney beans( rajma) or chickpeas.
• If you don’t have mexican seasoning, instead you can use cumin powder, salt and pepper.
• If you like it thinner, add some more water to desired consistency.

    Health Benefits of Black Beans

• Black beans are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral part of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. 
• Good for diabetes and rich in dietary fiber.
• Lowers cholesterol levels.
• Rich in antioxidants.

    Coconut Paratha is absolutely delicious…It features whole wheat flour, coconut and a variety of aromatic spices. This paratha is a treat to your eyes and to your taste buds..because of coconut flavor in it. When I left the dough to sit for 1 hr, you don’t believe , whole kitchen smells so aromatic…My husband really loved it. It is raining everyday in my place, so I thought to eat something hot and filling. When I did some google search, I came up with this idea..I got this recipe from here. we had with aloo gobi and onion raita..Try this flavorful paratha recipe and enjoy…

    Ingredients

         1 Cup of  Whole Wheat Flour, I used Aashirvaad Multigrain flour
         2 Tbsp of Dry Coconut Flakes
         1 Tsp of Cumin Powder
         1/2 Tsp of Red Chilly Flakes
         1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
         1/2 Tsp of Salt
         1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp of Vegetable / Canola Oil
         1/2 Cup of Warm Milk
         Ghee / Butter / Oil for brushing

      Serving : 5 Paratha
    
     Method

• In a big wide bowl, mix all the ingredients except milk.
• Make a well in the center. In the meantime, boil the milk in microwave for 1 min.
• Now slowly add warm milk in the centre of the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork or by hand to get a smooth dough. I took 1/2 cup of warm milk to knead the dough.
• Now the dough is ready. Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
• Again knead the dough and divide into equal portions and make it into round balls.
• Heat tawa or pan. In the meantime lightly grease the rolling surface with flour. Take one ball and make it circular with a rolling pin.
• Carefully place the paratha on the heated pan. You will see tiny bubbles rises on the surface of paratha.
• Now it’s time to flip the paratha with a spatula. Once first flip is done, apply oil or ghee on the upper surface and spread all over the paratha.
• Flip again in 30 secs and apply butter or ghee or oil. Press paratha gently with a spatula and cook till brown spots appear on both the sides of the paratha.
• Coconut Paratha is done when both sides are brown and crispy. Remove it from pan and place it in serving dish.
• Repeat the same process with each ball of dough.

     Tips

• Serve hot paratha with onion raita or aloo gobi or pickle or any side dish like

      Aloo Palak
      Baingan Bharta
      Navratan Korma 
      Rajma Masala

• You can add grated vegetables to make it more nutritious.
• If you dough is dry, you can add some more oil or milk.
• If you want more spicy, you can increase the quantity of red chilly flakes. 
• If you don’t get dry coconut flakes, use fresh coconut..
• Use butter to brush the paratha instead of oil for a rich taste.

    Health Benefits 

    Wheat Flour

• It contains healthy carbohydrates, fats and protein, antioxidants and vitamin E
• High in fibers results in boosting the metabolic rate.
• Reverse the weight gaining process.
• Reduce cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
• Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and breast cancer.

      Coconut

• Excellent source of Immunity.
• Good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
• Good for skin, hair, bones and teeth.