Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
Soups are the perfect warm-up meal. This hearty, spicy bean soup is a great addition to your Healthiest Way of Eating as the days get shorter and the temperature continues to cool.

Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt
Prep and Cook Time: Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 TBS tomato paste
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 2 TBS red chili powder
• 1 TBS dried oregano
• 2 cups or 1 15 oz can organic red kidney beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 
  
• Lime yogurt
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 TBS lime juice
• 1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Chop onions and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Chop carrots and celery.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in medium-sized soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and continue to sauté for another minute.
4. Add broth, tomato paste, kidney beans, and spices. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool for a few minutes while making lime yogurt.
5. Make lime yogurt by combining yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro in separate small bowl.
6. Blend soup. Be careful to start blender on low speed so hot soup does not erupt and burn you. And make sure you don't fill blender more than half full.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat, and pour into serving bowls, top with a spoonful of lime yogurt, and serve.

Serves 4 Serving Suggestions: Serve with

• Romaine & Avocado Salad

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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt
Healthy Food Tip
I'm a strict vegetarian. How can I get enough vitamin B12?

The only reliable food sources of active vitamin B12 are animal foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese. While some plant foods in their fermented or otherwise processed versions (including sprouting, in some cases) contain vitamin B12, there are no known plant foods that provide consistent, dependable levels of this important nutrient.
Many soil bacteria can make vitamin B12; so can certain bacterial inhabitants of the human digestive tract. Yet, there is inadequate research to confirm that these potential B12 sources are reliable sources for a person who is strictly vegan and eats no animal foods of any kind, including dairy products.
It's important here to distinguish between a strict vegetarian — who might include eggs and dairy products in his or her meal plan — and a strict vegan, who would not include these foods. All of those non-flesh yet animal-derived foods can contain B12. Strict vegans should therefore do one or more of the following:

• Regularly consume foods that have been fortified with active vitamin B12, such as fortified breakfast cereals or bread products, fortified soy products (like soy burgers, hotdogs, or breakfast patties), nutritional yeast, and yeast extracts
• Take an oral, nasal, or sublingual vitamin B12 supplement
• Receive vitamin B12 injections from their doctor.