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.

     Sparkling kiwi lemonade provides refreshing, healthy treat in a summer heat. This drink is a combination of all flavors. You can feel tangy taste from kiwi fruit and lemon, sweet taste from sugar and from the addition of soda and salt. I always love this fruit from my childhood as it gives loads of health benefits. Also my family favorite fruit. I love to eat as a whole fruit sometimes also I prefer to juice but without sugar. For a change, I tried this drink, it was too good and an amazing thirst quencher.. So enjoy this easy to make and tasty drink on a hot summer evening and enjoy..


  Ingredients

          1 Big Kiwi Fruit
          1 Tsp of Lemon Juice
          1/2 Cup of Spirit Soda
          1 Tsp of Sugar
          Pinch of Salt
          5 – 7 Ice Cubes

   To Garnish

           A Slice of Kiwi
           Few Mint Leaves

    Method

• Peel the skin of the kiwi fruit and mash it well in a bowl. To that add salt, sugar and lemon juice, give a quick stir.
• In a serving glass, add ice cubes, kiwi flesh and spirit soda, give a stir.
• Finally garnish with a slice of kiwi and mint leaves.
• Enjoy this drink on a hot summer evening.

   Tips

• Adjust sweetness according to your taste buds.
• Try kiwi mint lemonade by adding some mint leaves.

   Health Benefits of Kiwi

• Kiwi contains a remarkable amount of vitamin C, a water soluble antioxidant that has been proven to fight against cardiovascular disease and cancer.

• High in fiber content which helps improve diabetes, controls blood sugar and protects against colon cancer.

• More in potassium than a banana, ideal for fluid and electrolyte balance and energy during exercise.

• One of the fat free sources of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps boost immunity and helps lower cholesterol. Good source of zinc and folate important for pregnant women.

sending this recipe to Zesty southIndian kitchen
 

             This hearty roasted Chickpeas and Spinach salad has nutrients rich spinach and antioxidants rich chickpeas in it. I love chickpeas either in the form of curry or rice or salad or snack. As this Chickpeas and Spinach salad is fully loaded with fiber, proteins and antioxidants.  This versatile salad has roasted chickpeas, which has exotic smell because of addition of cumin, later it was sprinkled over the spinach bed along with onion and cherry tomatoes. This is good for summertime outdoor meals. Try this refreshing, colorful and low calorie Chickpeas and Spinach salad and enjoy.

   Ingredients for roasted Chickpeas and Spinach salad 

        1/2 Cup of Canned Chickpeas 
        3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
        1/2 Tsp of Cumin Seeds
        1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
        1/2 Tsp of Red Chilly Powder
        1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
        5 – 10 Grape Tomatoes
        2/3 Cup of Spinach Leaves
        1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
        2 Tsp of Parmesan Cheese
        Salt and Pepper to taste

   Method

   Roasting Chickpeas in the oven

• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Mix the chickpeas in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the cumin seeds, turmeric powder and red chilly powder and season with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer to a large nonstick roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 12- 15 mins, until nutty and golden.

     
   Making of salad

• Meanwhile, place the onion and tomatoes in a large bowl with the spinach and toss gently to combine. Mound onto serving plates.
• Remove the chickpeas from the oven and sprinkle them over the spinach salad. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Drizzle serving plate with the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil and serve immediately.

    Tips

• You can use crumbles of feta cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.
• Also you can use red wine vinaigrette for dressing.
• Add paprika to chickpeas for color, in place of red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
• If you don’t get canned chickpeas, then you need to soak chickpeas for 8 hrs, pressure cook it with salt and water and roast it in oven .

Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Spinach
       
    Chickpeas

• High in fiber and protein and antioxidants.
• Low in glycemic index.
• Helps to lower LDL cholesterol level.
• Reduce the risk of Heart disease.

    Spinach

• One cup of cooked spinach has 42 mg of calcium.
• Spinach is your best bet for folic acid, which helps keep cells all over the body growing and functioning well.
• It’s an incredible non animal protein source of iron, which delivers oxygen all over the body, providing much-needed energy to kids’ muscles.
• Spinach also helps regulate blood sugar and keeps your children’s hearts healthy because it’s high in potassium and magnesium.

  Calories299.6  Total Fat22.0 g     Saturated Fat3.3 g     Polyunsaturated Fat2.1 g     Monounsaturated Fat15.4 g  Cholesterol2.0 mg  Sodium816.0 mg  Potassium254.2 mg  Total Carbohydrate22.1 g     Dietary Fiber4.0 g     Sugars1.7 g  Protein5.0 g

Vitamin A	22.6 %
Vitamin B-12	0.6 %
Vitamin B-6	18.7 %
Vitamin C	35.3 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	13.8 %
Calcium	7.9 %
Copper	7.9 %
Folate	16.1 %
Iron	11.4 %
Magnesium	8.4 %
Manganese	28.6 %
Niacin	1.5 %
Pantothenic Acid	2.5 %
Phosphorus	9.9 %
Riboflavin	3.6 %
Selenium	4.0 %
Thiamin	3.3 %
Zinc	6.1 %

*Percent Daily Valuesare based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily valuesmay be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.