Black Bean And Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. coconut or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped (heaping 2 cups)

3 cups cubed butternut squash (sweet potato would be good too)

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cocoa powder

pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne pepper

2 cups cooked, black beans (about one can, rinsed and drained)

salt to taste

avocado, for garnish

cilantro, for garnish

// tortilla crispies //

3 corn tortillas

scant 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions

In a heavy bottomed pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until just beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, cabbage, squash and broth. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes for the vegetables to cook.

Add the spices and the beans and stir. Let everything continue to cook another ten minutes for the flavors to blend. Salt to taste. At this point, I did a few pulses with my immersion blender through the soup, because I wanted to thicken up the broth a bit. This is optional, but makes it seem a bit thicker. You could alternatively, run just a bit of the soup through a blender or food processor, and add it back in to the pot. OR a sprinkle of cornmeal will help thicken it as well.

For the tortilla crispies, preheat the oven to 375′. Stack them and slice into thin matchsticks. Spread on a baking sheet, dirzzle with the oil, sprinkle the salt and toss gently to coat. Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes until they are light brown and crispy, giving the pan a shake halfway through.

Garnish each both with some diced avocado, a handful of chopped cilantro and some of the tortilla crispies! A sprinkle of goat cheese would be quite nice as well.