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During a recent hospitalization, the cardiologist talked to us about consider a plant-based diet to combat conditions heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. While it wasn’t a viable option at the time, his comments got me thinking that we could incorporate more plant-based meals without completely eliminating meat from our diets. Now we celebrate MEAT-FREE MONDAY on a weekly basis, and I try to eat a meat-free meal for lunch on a daily basis. While this soup isn’t totally meatless (the bacon adds flavor), this Smoky Chipotle Black Bean Soup is an easy and savory option for those meat-free Monday meals!

MEAL PREP SUNDAY: If you are prepping your weekly meals on Sunday, you can do the following and store in plastic bags until you are ready to cook:

• Dice the chipotles and carrots then store in an airtight container.
• Chop the spinach and store in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (Salt Free)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, diced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 4 teaspoons lime juice, divided
• 4 cups of spinach, chopped
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse all beans in a colander.
2. In a blender, combine one can of beans with one cup of water. Pulse until blended.
3. In a Dutch oven or stock pot, coat with olive oil cooking spray over medium heat. Sauté carrots for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Add the broth, beans, liquid smoke, Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning, and chipotle chilis. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted.
6. Spoon into bowls and top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of lime juice and cilantro for garnish.
7. Enjoy!