Southwestern Bean Chowder

  Lunch

“I’m really fortunate that my children, ages 5, 3 and 1, are great eaters, and my husband loves this soup, too. My favorite beans for this are white kidney beans—they have a terrific texture.”

Southwestern Bean Chowder

Average Rating: 3.941176

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 35 min.
YIELD: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded
  • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Minced fresh cilantro and additional shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Instructions

  • 1. In a small bowl, mash one can beans with a fork; set aside.
  • 2. In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, celery and pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the mashed beans, broth, corn, carrot, chilies, cumin, chili powder and remaining beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  • 3. Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth. Stir into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve with cilantro and additional cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 236 calories, 8g fat (4g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 670mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 6g fiber), 11g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges:
2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat.

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