Mexican Soup

Here is my second recipe for Meal Mondays.  I made this soup last week and it took no more than 20 minutes to throw together.  And I was chasing Gryffin around while putting it together.  Pretty fast for a soup.  It simmers for about 30 minutes to combine the flavors.   

I'm not in the habit of taking photos yet so I will once again post someone else's picture of the soup.   It's another recipe from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen site that I mentioned last week.  

1 large onion, chopped
3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
15 ounces fatfree refried beans
15 ounces black beans, cooked
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 – 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Spray a large, non-stick pot with cooking spray, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for one more minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook until the flavors blend, 20-30 minutes.

I was curious to see how the refried beans worked in a soup.  Seemed strange but it made the soup creamy and the taste was really subtle.  We topped ours with avocado and some fresh lime juice.  It's thick enough that it might work well served over some brown rice, which I'll try next time.  And we had enough leftover for lunch the next day.