Ah, the dawning of a new year. The time when everyone vows to finally lose that baby weight (from two pregnancies ago), and when the local gym is packed tighter than a can of sardines. Yes, my friends, January 1st is when we wholeheartedly commit ourselves to life-altering resolutions… and January 31st is the date by which most of us have broken those resolutions.
That’s why I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, instead I make New Year’s goals. Goals are things you can work towards, resolutions just set you up for failure. My goals for 2015 are:
To teach my kids the importance of gratitude
To get every room in my house organized (and keep it that way)
To paddleboard from the beginning of spring to the end of fall
Finish my Master’s Degree
To re-energize my diet with new, lean, tasty, healthy meals
Goals 1-4 are all on me, but I want share my goal of eating healthier with all of you! That’s why I’m kicking off the new year with a brand new series called #EatLean2015! For the next 15 days I’ll be sharing my all-time favorite healthy recipes with you (but don’t worry- I promise they’re so tasty you’ll forget they’re lean). I hope you come back every day for a new delicious and nutritious dish!
Be sure to follow my #EatLean board on Pinterest for even more healthy recipe ideas!
Follow Christin @ Blue Crab Martini’s board #EatLean Healthy Recipes on Pinterest.
First up for #EatLean2015 is Black Bean & Quinoa Crock Pot Soup! It’s hearty, wholesome, and has a little kick of heat- perfect for these chilly winter nights! The best part is that it cooks in the crock pot. Just mix all of the ingredients, set the timer, and before you know it you have a delicious meal on the dinner table.
Black beans are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, folate and antioxidants. Combine that with a healthy dose of quinoa, fresh veggies, and garlic and you’ve got a powerhouse vegetarian meal! I also swapped out sour cream for a healthier alternative- Greek yogurt! Might sound crazy, but trust me, it tastes just like the real thing.I hope you come back each day of #EatLean2015 for a brand new healthy recipe. I’ve got some really tasty things planned, and I can’t wait to share them with you! Happy New Year, and let’s make 2015 amazing!
Black Bean & Quinoa Crock Pot Soup
Ingredients
- 2 organic bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), roughly chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 3 15oz cans of organic black beans, rinsed
- 26oz crushed organic tomatoes (in a carton, not a can, if possible)
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ancho chili powder
- 2 TBS chili powder
- 1 tsp crushed chipotle chili (optional)
- 32oz organic low sodium vegetable broth
- 1-2 TBS organic raw honey
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garnish with:
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Cheddar cheese
- Sprinkle of fresh cilantro
- Cooked organic white quinoa
Instructions
Combine all ingredients from the bell peppers to the vegetable broth in a crock pot. Stir to combine.
Cook on high for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook for an additional 5-6 hours.
Once cooked, add the honey, cilantro, and lime juice. Using an immersion blender puree the soup until it reaches a nice smooth consistency. You can also do this using a regular blender, but be careful because the soup will be very hot!
Season with salt and pepper and any additional spices to suit your preferences.
Serve warm and garnish with several TBS of quinoa, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro.
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