1. Heat oil and butter in a big soup pot and sauté mirepoix and leeks for about 10 minutes until golden, soft and sweet.
2. Add veg broth, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes.
3. When the soup is cooked, take half of it and place it in a blender to puree. Add this back to the rest of the soup and then add the frozen spinach, the beans, and sausage if you like sausage and want more protein.

Here are some of the benefits:
1.) Fiber and Protein. The American Dietetic Association says that Americans barely eat half the amount of recommended fiber per day. Black beans are high in dietary fiber, which makes it an effective food for lowering cholesterol and improving digestion. 1 cup of black beans provides 15grams, or 60% of the RDA, of fiber. The high fiber and protein content in black beans makes it a nearly perfect food for maintaining controlled blood sugar levels and avoiding glycemic index peaks and lows. The added benefit of keeping blood sugar levels even is that metabolism remains strong. Your body will burn calories throughout the day, rather than slowing down as your blood sugar dips.
2.) Nutritional Content and Trace Minerals. Black beans are extremely high in nutritional value as well and excellent sources of many vitamins and minerals, including folate,molybdenum, and iron. Molybdenum is a mineral that counteracts the effects of sulfites, such as those found in red wine. So for those sensitive to sulfites, a serving of black beans may help avoid that red wine headache.
3.) Anti-oxidants. Black beans also have high flavonoid anti-oxidant levels which can battle cancer, heart disease, and aging. It's a lesser known fact that black beans are an anti-oxidant powerhouse. A study that appeared inthe Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found flavonoid levels similar to those found in red grapes and cranberries. The anti-oxidants are found in the skin of the bean, and the darker the skin, the higher the levels of anti-oxidants.
4.) Get your omegas! Black beans also contain omega-3 essential fatty oils. The benefits of omega-3's are becoming well known and include skin health and lowered blood pressure. Many people with sensitive skin or dermatitis notice a dramatic improvement after incorporating omega-3 supplements or omega-3-rich foods into their diet (even one of my dogs was put on omega-3's to improve skin allergy symptoms and it worked!). Fatty fishes such as salmon are the primary source of omega-3's. For vegetarians or people who don't eat fish regularly, black beans or other omega-3-rich foods are a must.
There are many ways to incorporate black beans into meals. Many South American or Mexican dishes include black beans. An easy way to create a complete protein is to pair it with some brown rice like I sometimes do for a near-instant lunch. Or just serve along fajitas, a quesadilla, or huevos rancheros.
This soup is one of my favorite recipes (from our cookbook "Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's"), smoky with cumin and tangy with lime. It's a healthy and low-fat meal that can be part of a weekly menu. Canned beans preserve the nutritional value of the beans and make itmuch easier and convenient to use them in recipes. If you're on a sodium-restricted diet, make sure you check the label, as most canned beans tend to be already seasoned with some salt.
If you prefer a smoother soup, you can puree one of the cans of beans (often I make a double batch of this soup and puree 2 of the cans). You can also let it simmer longer and get very thick for a terrific bean dip or burrito filling! This soup also freezes well, although we usually never have any left over to freeze!
Black Bean Soup
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped (or use 1 1/2 cups TJ's Freshly Diced Onion)
1 clove crushed garlic, or 1 cube frozen Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
2 (15-oz) cans black beans (do not drain)
1 cup (half a jar) of your favorite salsa, such as TJ's Chunky Salsa
2 Tbsp lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
Plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
1. In a medium pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent.
2. Add cumin and garlic, sautéing for an additional minute.
3. Pour in black beans (including juices), salsa, and lime juice. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
4. When serving the soup, top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Hands-off Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 hearty servings, Calories per serving: 280, Fat per serving: 6.9 g, Protein per serving: 10.9 g (not including sour cream)
Holidays are a great time for festive cocktails like this one. Pomegranate seeds make a colorful and edible garnish that dance to the top of each glass.
For a non-alcoholic version, use mineral water (plain or lemon-flavored) instead of champagne. Or, use straight sparkling pomegranate juice garnished with pomegranate seeds. It's a great option for kids — now they can have their own drinks that look just like the adult version! To make things even easier, Trader Joe's sells pomegranate seeds preshelled and ready to go — no need to struggle with the whole fruit.
If cocktails aren't your thing, Trader Joe's is well-known for their terrific wine selection. For great wine buys, check out Jason's Trader Joe's Top 10 wine list, just updated this week with best value wines < $10 at Trader Joe's. Jason is a wine blogger and connoisseur, known for finding wines that deliver great value to the wallet and the palate. The first 3 wines in Jason's list are shown below. For the full list, check out Jason's Top 10 Wine List.
1. 2007 Trentatre Rosso ($6) – A wine that has grown on me with every bottle. I am now smitten with this well balanced effort that offers a very nice finish to boot. Supplies are waning and I’ve been grabbing every bottle I can find…
2. 2007 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles ($5) – If my readers haven’t emptied stores of this one by now you may still have a chance to get some. The only reason this didn’t make the top spot is the high ABV%. That said, I just grabbed another case of this a few days back. Fantastic stuff!
3. 2008 Sauvignon Republic Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc ($7) – I’ve yet to try the Marlborough (91 points from the Wine Spectator) or the Russian River but already stocked up on all three. Pretty soon I intend to do a blind tasting of the lot. Can I pick out the differences in terroir? Stay tuned!
Continue reading more of Jason's tips on his blog.
Hope these drink suggestions come in handy as you prepare to ring in the New Year!
Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail Recipe
6 tsp refrigerated fresh Pomegranate Seeds
1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
1 cup Just Pomegranate juice, chilled
1. Put 1 tsp pomegranate seeds in each cocktail glass.
2. Combine champagne and pomegranate juice in a pitcher. Pour into cocktail glasses and serve.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 6
I'll admit upfront that I'm veering from our rule of sharing recipes made ONLY with ingredients from Trader Joe's. You have to get the split peas elsewhere, but just about any grocer carries them. When I went to my local market, I grabbed the last bag of split peas on the shelf, so clearly a lot of people are making split pea soup this week.
I just leave the soup chunky and textured, but if you want a smooth soup, simply puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion/stick blender. You can also cook the soup in a crockpot. The longer the soup cooks, the more the peas will break down and make for a smoother soup.
Serve with some crunchy croutons or crusty bread, and it makes for a filling, inexpensive meal. It's a nice balance to all the heavy holiday meals that are popular this time of year.
Serves 8.
Variation: use 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary instead of oregano











