Recipe for LaMa (since the Smock wouldn't touch it!)

Hey, LaMa! A friend of mine made this yummy vegetarian soup for a gathering I went to, and I thought of you when I ate it. Kind of a Latin flavor, it has yummy butternut squash in it. It was fabulous. It's from the January 2009 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine:

Spicy Black Bean-Squash Soup

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups frozen pepper stir-fry mix
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika
4 cups lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
6 cilantro sprigs
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Mash 3/4 cup of the beans in small bowl with fork.

2. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Cook pepper mix 3 to 5 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin and chile powder; cook and stir 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add mashed and whole beans, broth, squash and cilantro sprigs; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or just until squash is tender.

3. Remove and discard cilantro sprigs. Garnish each serving with dollop of sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro.

6 (1 1/2-cup) servings

Nutritional info per serving: 225 calories, 4 g fat, 12 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 755 mg sodium, 12 g fiber.

YUM!