Now that fall is here to stay, time to break out the soup recipes. Soup is a great way to keep calories in check. Stick with broth soups that have lots of vegetables and/or beans for lower-calorie choices. Here is one of my go-to recipes for really good black bean soup. 
It uses canned beans which can be high in sodium so be sure to rinse well to remove over 1/3 of the sodium indicated on the label.
Black Bean Soup
1 teaspoon olive
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin or chili powder (or combination)
2, 14 ½ ounce cans black beans, drained
2 cups chicken broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
yogurt or low-fat sour cream for topping
- Sauté the onion in olive oil in a large pot.
- After 2 minutes, add the cumin or chili powder.
- Add one can of beans and broth or water.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, stir occasionally.
- Remove from heat and use a hand blender to puree ingredients or transfer to a blender and puree.
- Add the second can of beans to the pot and cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until bubbly.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve topped with yogurt or low-fat sour cream.
Recipe makes 6 servings – Calories per serving 192