Brown Rice and Black Bean Soup

This warm, simple recipe will have you feeling cozy all season long.  Black beans and brown rice are great pantry staples and can be used in a huge variety of dishes.  This delicious brown rice and black bean soup will have you feeling all the comfort food love – without needing to put on Thanksgiving pants to enjoy!

Brown Rice and Black Bean Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced

Instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine onion, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and cumin.  Cook over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in beans and broth.  Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until beans are heated through.
5. Add rice to bean mixture and stir.
6. Serve sprinkled with feta and avocado to taste.

Delicious with a side of nutritious:

Black beans are great sources of fiber, protein, magnesium, and folate.  Adding brown rice enhances the magnesium and fiber content while adding B vitamins and selenium.  These two ingredients work great together in a variety of vegetarian dishes or as sides.

Family friendly tip:

Got kiddos who don’t exactly like foods mixed all together?  We get it!  Serve some of the soup in a small dish and a little of each of its components on the side (brown rice, beans, avocado).  Enjoy a little discussion of how these ingredients came together to make a meal.  Then, each item can be tried individually as well as together in the soup.