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TCP Kitchen

Your Secret Ingredient

Psst! You need to see what goes into these recipes. Sponsored by the Texas Peanut Producers Board

From banana pudding made with Ritz crackers to a pork loin slow-cooked in cinnamon applesauce, submissions to the Your Secret Ingredient contest earned high scores across the board.

My contribution is my daughter’s favorite black bean soup. There are two secret ingredients: a dash of honey and smoked Spanish paprika. You’ll want to adjust the salt level to taste, as vegetable broth tends to vary in flavor and sodium levels.

Emma’s Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon honey
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (14 ounces), drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, salted
2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), drained
Salt to taste
1/2 cup frozen or canned corn, drained (optional)

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, celery, carrots and cumin and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender and fragrant. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. Stir in smoked paprika, honey, tomatoes, vegetable broth and black beans. Stir well and season to taste with salt, if needed.

3. If desired, purée the soup in a blender, return to stove and heat until warm. Alternatively, skip the puréeing step, add frozen or canned corn, rewarm, and serve the soup chunky-style.

Servings: 6. Serving size: 10 ounces. Per serving: 228 calories, 10.50 g protein, 3.90 g fat, 45.64 g carbohydrates, 9.57 g dietary fiber, 1,666 mg sodium, 28.25 g sugars, 0 mg cholesterol