Both of these are cheap, quick, easy, damn tasty and pretty healthy to make.

Wife got this recipe off a cracker box a few years back and we make it pretty regularly. Good stuff and you can throw it together in no time.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp. oil
3 cans (16 oz. each)black beans, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 jar (16 oz.)TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup plain low-fatyogurt
PREMIUM Saltine Crackers, any variety

Preparation:

COOK onion, garlic, cumin and pepper flakes in oil in 4-quart saucepot on medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender; remove from heat.

PLACE 2 cans beans with liquid in batches with broth in blender; cover. Blend until pureed. Stir into saucepot. Stir in remaining beans, salsa and lime juice.

HEAT mixture to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl; top with dollop of yogurt. Serve with crackers.



Got hungry one day and not much to fix for lunch so I put this one together at the office. Same idea, different ingredients, and it doesn't last long around here. Peas don't need a lot of dressing up, so I didn't add much in the way of spices. Have made it a few times and it disappears quick.

Blackeye'd pea soup

1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 slices bacon
4 cans blackeyed peas - with or without jalepeno's
6 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 pounds smoked sausage sliced
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cayenne pepper to taste



Fry the bacon in your soup pot and remove. While that is cooking up puree 2 cans of peas in a blender with some of the broth. Add the onions to the bacon grease and fry til they start to lose color, just 2 minutes or so. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin and fry for another minute or so. Dump the rest of the broth in the pot with the onions, scrape the crud loose and then add your pureed peas, chopped up fried bacon if you so desire, sausage and seasonings. Soup should be pretty soupy, if not add a little water. Get it to boiling, stire in the rice and simmer it for 30 minutes or so stirring occasionally. You're not shooting for jambalaya, should be just enough rice to thicken it up and add some substance. Serve with saltines and rat cheese.

Feeds a good sized family for under $10 and tastes good too. If you're worried about salt rinse the peas before you add them.

I think black beans are often over looked. I like them quite a bit.

Went on a hunt once with some buddies we only stayed one night and a buddy broght dinner.

crock pot
Bag of black beans
water
link of echrich/ecridge(sp) sausage from like heb
some cotton tail

We put the beans in crock pot covered with water and put the sausage and quartered coton tail in and let cook about 10 hours, it was turely good.

matt

I'm with you Matt. I mix black beans and pintos 50/50, they come out awesome. Very overlooked little bean!

Craig

I'm not that big of fan of plain black beans for just a meal. They taste ok, supposed to be better for you, but I prefer pinto. They do alright as a side, in a burrito, or in a soup though.

That's all just my opinion though, to each his own.

I made the black eyed pea soup for New Year's day feast. Thank You for the recipe, it was a big hit and very good. Happy New Year

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Forgot to put in that recipe that I usually include a 14oz can of stewed tomatoes, run through the blender, as well.

Made the black eyed pea soup for lunch today, reminded me of this thread. Figured would bump it for New Years. Have started using less chicken broth and making steamed rice on the side. Works a little better if you are going to leave it on the stove to eat all day.

I think this is what my bride has planned for tomorrow.