Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe was adapted slightly from Hungry Girl.
It turned out really well, and was especially delicious with a layer of 3 lightly-oven-crisped corn tortillas as a base.

Ingredients:
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium-sized diced sweet yellow onion
3 cups green enchilada sauce
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
12 oz. cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped or shredded
1 1/2 cup frozen white (or yellow) corn
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
dash hot sauce, or more to taste

Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips

Directions:In a large pot, saute garlic and onion until slightly tender. Add broth and bring to a low boil on the stove. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in enchilada sauce, pumpkin, and spices. Once soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn, and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, until soup is heated throughout. Add a dash or more hot sauce. Serve and, if you like, top with shredded cheese and/or crushed chips.
MAKES 9 1-cup SERVINGS

Black Bean Soup

This recipe is an adaptation from a recipe from Real Simple.
It made a good cold winter's night dinner, especially when eaten with lots of warm cornbread.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (or 2 cubes frozen)
2 cups fresh salsa (I used 1cup hot and 1cup medium)
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 16-ounce can refried black beans
garlic salt, to taste
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the refried beans, black beans, and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Top with some of the remaining salsa and the sour cream and cilantro (if using).Yield: Makes 4 servings

Notes:
The next time I make this I might try to swap out 1 cup of salsa for another cup of refried black beans, to give it a slightly less tomato-y base to it. Or maybe just choosing a different style salsa (i.e. black bean and corn, etc) would be a good option too. I like this recipe as it is as well, but was maybe just envisioning something a little black bean-ier in terms of the broth.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 151; FAT 3g (sat 2g); CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 97mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28g; SODIUM 830mg; PROTEIN 9mg; FIBER 10g; IRON 3mg