Bob and Jillian would be so proud

Fall and soup seem to go hand-in-hand... and I love both.  Friday night I made one of my favorite stews.  Ben is pretty picky and would only eat a few bites, even though we've had it a handful of times in the past.  He loves Biggest Loser and often tells me how he could be like Bob and Jillian and be my trainer.  So I told him Bob and Jillian would love this meal because it doesn't have anything bad in it, it looks colorful, and it's good for you.  I could tell the wheels were spinning a little, but even saying that didn't persuade him to finish his bowl.  Josh took cues from his older brother, and decided he wouldn't eat it either.  Nice.  Don't take my boys' word for it, though.  This stew is yummy, and so easy to make.  I got the recipe from my friend, Bev, probably 5 years ago and it's one of my favorites.  The best part: it's only about 200 calories per serving.

Makes 5-6 servings

Fall Stew

4 tsp. olive oil 

1 medium onion, chopped 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 tsp. ground cumin 

1 (15 oz.) can Bush's black beans, drained and rinsed 

2 (14.5 oz) cans Hunt's diced garlic tomatoes, undrained 

2 C. water

3/4 tsp. salt

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded 

6 oz. frozen corn 

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes.

2. Add garlic and cumin, cook 2 minutes, stirring often 

3. To the pan, add beans, tomatoes, water, and salt.  Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to med-low and simmer, partially covered (20 minutes).

4. Mash up 2 cups of the stew in a blender or by hand, and add back to the pan.

5.  Add frozen corn and chicken, simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.

6.  (Optional) Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced red onion, or chopped chives.  Serve with heated tortilla chips. (Obviously, though, if you serve it with sour cream, cheese, and/or chips, calories go up and it's not as healthy.  I think it's great without all that stuff anyway!)