Southwestern Vegetable and Bean Soup

My CSA’s fall season has started and I couldn’t be happier. I really miss those boxes in between seasons. The last two boxes have had a variety of peppers and summer squash in addition to sweet potatoes, arugula, eggplant, and pickling cucumbers. I love using poblano peppers in soup.

Depending on the heat of the poblano peppers (they tend to vary quite a bit) you use, this soup can be a bit spicy. I like it that way. If you would like a spicier soup, add a jalapeno or serrano pepper for heat. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, substitute a milder pepper, like an Anaheim or banana pepper, for the poblano. If you have fresh cilantro on hand, feel free to throw some into the soup before serving.

This recipe makes about 12 1 cup servings that come in at about 100 calories a serving. A great low-calorie lunch.

Southwestern Vegetable and Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 poblano chiles, stem and seeds removed and diced
1 large bell pepper, diced (use your choice of color)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of vegetable broth
1 15.5 ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 14. 5 ounce can diced tomatoes and juices
1 cup frozen corn
1 large zucchini, diced (yellow squash would be fine too)
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the onions, poblanos, and bell peppers and sauté until tender. Add the garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and zucchini. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.