White Bean Avocado & Lime Soup

Did you guys remember that today is April Fool’s Day?

I contemplated for about three seconds whether or not I should play a joke on y’all. Like I thought I might fake some big announcement or something. Then as I went down the list of the different ideas I could potentially use, I realized that every one of them would only make me look like a fool and not you. Strangely enough, that’s always how it’s seemed to work out when I try to play jokes on people.

One of my finest moments was when I decided to smear peanut butter on the ear piece of our cordless home phone, fake dial it so that it would ring and then pretend to answer it and tell someone else it was for them so that they would get peanut butter all over their face.

Let’s just say that didn’t exactly work out as I had planned and my mom was about ready to kill me for practically destroying the phone that day.

So I might not have any jokes for you today but I do have a seriously tasty Mexican soup for you to dip a tortilla chip in! How’s that sound?

You’re going to love how easy it is too. All you have to do is chop a total of four vegetables (technically three if you count cilantro as an herb) and drain a few cans. I’m telling ya, it comes together lickety split!

The base is made from jalapeno, garlic, and green onions which are flavored with ground cumin and smoked paprika for a nice little kick.

Then we combine those with fire-roasted tomatoes (canned because um hello, it’s April), vegetarian (or vegan!) “chicken” broth, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice for a light citrusy flavor, and creamy avocado to bring all of the greatness together in holy matrimony.

You may now kiss the tortilla chip.

I’m sorry, it’s like a disease.

So SOUP! We loved this one. Most of the time Brandon will take the first bite of something I make and then ask me what I think of it (which drives me cah-razy, btw) but this time he immediately exclaimed that he thought it was “excellent!”. And you know, I thought it was excellent too so I’d say it’s definitely a keeper.

It’s also pretty light which makes it perfect to eat with the windows open as the fresh cool spring air blows in. I hope you get a chance to try it before it gets too hot outside. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 bowls or 6 cups

Ingredients

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced (approx. 1 tablespoon)

6 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cups vegetarian/vegan chicken broth

juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes, drained

2 avocados

Instructions

1. Start by warming the olive oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add the jalapeno and the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Next add the green onions, cumin, and smoked paprika and stir together. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes or so then pour in the broth and the drained tomatoes and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and then add the white beans. Allow to cook for 10 minutes then squeeze in the lime juice and add the chopped cilantro. Stir everything together and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into separate bowls and add 1/2 of diced avocado to each. Serve with tortilla chips or shredded cheese, if desired. If you want to save leftovers or make the soup ahead of time then wait to add the avocado until ready to serve.