SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP with TORTILLA CHIPS

Need a quick lunch or dinner idea for two? Four? More? This hearty soup and side easily doubles—or triples—and can be on the table in a flash. (Easy to pack for lunch the next day, too)!

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz. can no-salt-added black beans (do not rinse)
1 10 oz. can tomatoes and green chiles
1 small onion, chopped
¼ cup fat free sour cream, plus two teaspoons for garnish
1 teaspoon 40% reduced sodium taco seasoning
2 Tablespoons reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

TORTILLA CHIPS:
2 (one each) whole wheat, high-fiber, low-carb tortillas
½ teaspoon 40% reduced sodium taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
Set oven to broil. Chop onion and place in medium saucepan. Add juice from tomatoes and sauté until onion begins to soften. Meanwhile, cut tortillas into quarters. Place on broil pan lightly misted with non-stick cooking spray, like Smart Balance Omega-3. Lightly dust with ½ teaspoon taco seasoning. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes. Now, add beans and tomatoes to onions in saucepan. Stir in ¼ cup fat free sour cream and 1 teaspoon taco seasoning. Stir well and bring to a boil. Remove tortilla chips from oven, turn over, and return to oven. Turn the oven off and allow tortilla chips to “toast and dry” in the hot oven, approximately three minutes. Ladle soup into two bowls, topping each with a tablespoon of cheese and a teaspoon of sour cream. Serve with hot tortilla chips. Counts as protein (black beans, tortillas), fast carb (sour cream, tortillas), and slow carb (beans, tomatoes).

WHY HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS?
Besides the fact that they really taste much better, homemade baked tortilla chips (when using the whole wheat, high-fiber, low-carb tortillas) add as much as five additional grams of protein per tortilla (four large chips). Their high fiber content is more filling than bagged tortilla chips. We like LaTortilla Factory Low Carb High Fiber Original Whole Wheat tortillas, which have seven grams of fiber and five grams of protein per tortilla. Fiber and protein are important factors in weight loss.