Making Sense of Soups: Easy Black Bean Soup

December 7, 2022 General /FamilyRecipes
When the weather turns cold and windy, warm up with our hearty and healthy winter soups. Homemade soups are easy to prepare, they’re fun for kids to slurp, and they taste great too. Our black bean and sweet potato soups are made with lots of vegetables, so every spoonful brings great nutrition to your family’s diet.

This recipe takes just five minutes to put together because it calls for two convenient ingredients: canned black beans and frozen corn. You can spice it up by adding more cumin and chili powder or by choosing a spicier salsa. Serve a variety of toppings on the side, and let your kids choose their favorites.

Easy Black Bean Soup

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

  • One 15-ounce can black beans, undrained
  • 1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
  • ¾ cup salsa
  • ½ cup water
  • Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • Place the undrained beans, corn, salsa, water, lime juice, cumin, and chili powder in a medium pot and stir to combine.
  • Place over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 5 minutes
  • Serve with optional toppings.
TOPPING CHOICES: Shredded, reduced-fat cheese, light sour cream, diced avocado, fresh cilantro.
TIP: If you don’t have black beans, you can substitute with pinto, kidney, or black-eyed peas.

Nutrition Information per Serving (About 1 cup):

140 calories, 0g fat, 210mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 6g protein, 10% vitamin C

Making Sense of Soups

Many homemade soups are made with beans, proteins, and lots of vegetables, so every spoonful is packed with nutrient-rich flavor.

Here are a few things to consider to smartly shop and sip soups:

Watch the Salt:

Store-bought soups are among the top-10 sources of sodium in a child’s diet, and too much salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure. To help, when buying canned soups, read labels, compare brands, and choose the lowest sodium options at the market.

According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, sodium should be limited each day to:

  • ✓ Adults and teens ages 14 and older: no more than 2,300 mg
  • ✓ Children ages 9 to 13: no more than 1,800 mg
  • ✓ Children ages 4 to 8: no more than 1,500 mg
  • ✓ Children ages 1 to 3: no more than 1,200 mg
  • Add Vegetables:
  • Soups offer an easy way to add a variety of nutritious vegetables to your family’s diet. Choose canned soups with ingredients like beans, lentils, carrots, peas, green beans, and tomatoes. If you open a can of soup and it’s light on the veggies, mix in some frozen vegetables or canned beans.
  • Be Smart about Condensed Soup:
  • When preparing condensed soups, add milk instead of water to increase the bone-building calcium. You can also add extra ingredients to condensed soups. For example, sliced, sautéed mushrooms make cream of mushroom soup even heartier; chopped, cooked chicken adds extra protein to cream of chicken soup.
Side-Lying-Hold

Side-Lying Hold

  1. For the right breast, lie on your right side with your baby facing you.
  2. Pull your baby close. Your baby’s mouth should be level with your nipple.
  3. In this position, you can cradle your baby’s back with your left arm and support yourself with your right arm and/or pillows.
  4. Keep loose clothing and bedding away from your baby.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • You had a C-section
  • You want to rest while baby feeds
  • You are breastfeeding in the middle of the night
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
cross-cradle-hold-1

Cross-Cradle Hold

  1. For the right breast, use your left arm to hold your baby’s head at your right breast and baby’s body toward your left side. A pillow across your lap can help support your left arm.
  2. Gently place your left hand behind your baby’s ears and neck, with your thumb and index finger behind each ear and your palm between baby’s shoulder blades. Turn your baby’s body toward yours so your tummies are touching.
  3. Hold your breast as if you are squeezing a sandwich. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Instead, bring your baby to you.
  4. As your baby’s mouth opens, push gently with your left palm on baby’s head to help them latch on. Make sure you keep your fingers out of the way.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby is premature
  • Your baby has a weak suck
  • Your baby needs help to stay latched
  • Your baby needs extra head support
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
Football-hold

Clutch or “Football” Hold

  1. For the right breast, hold your baby level, facing up, at your right side.
  2. Put your baby’s head near your right nipple and support their back and legs under your right arm.
  3. Hold the base of your baby’s head with your right palm. A pillow underneath your right arm can help support your baby’s weight.
  4. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Bring baby to you instead.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • You had a C-section
  • You have large breasts
  • You have flat or inverted nipples
  • You have a strong milk let-down
  • You are breastfeeding twins
  • Your baby likes to feed in an upright position
  • Your baby has reflux
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
CRADLE-HOLD​

Cradle Hold

  1. For the right breast, cradle your baby with your right arm. Your baby will be on their left side across your lap, facing you at nipple level.
  2. Your baby’s head will rest on your right forearm with your baby’s back along your inner arm and palm.
  3. Turn your baby’s tummy toward your tummy. Your left hand is free to support your breast, if needed. Pillows can help support your arm and elbow.
  4. To protect your back, avoid leaning down to your baby. Instead, bring your baby to you.
  5. Reverse for the left breast.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby needs help latching on
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position
laid-back

Laid-Back Hold

  1. Lean back on a pillow with your baby’s tummy touching yours and their head at breast level. Some moms find that sitting up nearly straight works well. Others prefer to lean back and lie almost flat.
  2. You can place your baby’s cheek near your breast, or you may want to use one hand to hold your breast near your baby. It’s up to you and what you think feels best.
  3. Your baby will naturally find your nipple, latch, and begin to suckle.

This hold is useful when:

  • Your baby is placed on your chest right after birth
  • You have a strong milk let-down
  • You have large breasts
  • You and your baby are comfortable in this position