Weekly Recipe: Black Bean Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I'm not sure I could have pulled off this meal early in our marriage but both of our palates have evolved quite a bit since then and can appreciate a much wider array of foods and styles of cooking.  Wes has been doing P90X for a couple months now and one of the things that came with the dvd's was a meal plan cookbook.  I read through it so as to not throw him off track completely but doubted very seriously I'd be making anything out of it.  After all, I have an endless supply of recipes at my fingertips, what could this gym rat possibly have that I haven't already seen?  Well nothing but he did at least give me some ideas.  The beef with broccoli was one and this roasted red pepper soup was another.  Coincidentally, I had it on my mind too but it had slipped to the back and was just waiting to be dug out.  The black bean burgers just seemed like a good pairing and thus dinner was made.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Black Bean Burgers

courtesy of Guilty Kitchen

1 19oz can Black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (tender shoots and leaves)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce **

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt & pepper

Romaine lettuce leaves

1/2 avocado, sliced

Tomatoes, sliced

Slices of cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Edam, Gouda, Brie, Havarti, etc)

Buns, halved

1. In bowl of food processor, add half of drained beans, cilantro, minced garlic, diced onion and egg.

2. Pulse until beans and remaining ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

3. Pour mixture out into medium sized bowl and add remaining beans, bread crumbs and seasonings.

4. Form patties and place on greased, aluminum foil lined baking sheet.

5. Bake in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes. Turn once halfway through and lay cheese over patties if desired, returning to oven for remaining time.

6. Serve on buns with condiments of choice and vegetables to garnish.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes

• 5 large red bell peppers, roasted seeds removed
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk
• croutons for topping

To roast red peppers in the oven, cut the peppers into 4 large pieces and place flesh side down on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes, or until starting to turn black.  Cool and peel skins to remove - to make this step easier you can put the peppers in a paper bag and fold the top over or you can cover the baking sheet with foil to allow the steam to stay inside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and herbs and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, roasted bell peppers, and wine. Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Decrease the heat to medium-low and cover, simmer until the carrots are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

With an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot with the milk until it is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with croutons and ladle into bowls.