yoga

PHOTO: JENNIFER OLSON; FOOD STYLIST: ERIC LESKOVAR; PROP STYLIST: NICOLE DOMINIC; HEADSHOT: LAURA BERLAND

Spice it up

Yoga teacher Beryl Bender Birch, founder of The Hard & The Soft Yoga

Institute and cofounder and board chair of the Give Back Yoga Foundation,

shares one of her favorite recipes to kick off soup season.

TEACHER’S TABLE

eat well

SERVES 6

This soup is great in the fall and winter. I love the spicy, smoky flavor from the chili peppers—and the

sweetness from the tomatoes. Plus, it delivers a huge hit of protein. Savor it on its own, or serve it with a

salad, guacamole, corn tortillas, or rice with steamed greens.

Beryl Bender Birch’s vegan black bean soup

1½ cups dried black beans (or 3 cans,

15 oz each)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp cumin

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 quart vegetable broth

1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted, diced tomatoes with

green chilies (I like Muir Glen.)

1 dried chipotle pepper (or 1 tsp chipotle powder)

1 dried guajillo pepper

1 dried pasilla pepper (If your local grocer doesn’t

carry pasillas or guajillos, order them online at

americanspice.com.)

1 avocado

6 cilantro sprigs

In a bowl, submerge dry beans in water, and soak

overnight. Drain, and rinse thoroughly.

(If using canned beans, drain and rinse before

cooking.) Add beans and 6 cups water

to a large pot (beans should be covered

by a couple inches of water). Cover, and

simmer over medium-low heat until beans are soft,

about 1 hour. (Keep an eye on it to make sure there

is a soupy layer of water in the pot at all times. Add

more if necessary to ensure beans don’t burn.)

Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion

and jalapeño, and cook until onions are soft and

transparent, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, and

add oregano and cumin (and chipotle powder, if

using), stirring constantly until you smell the cumin

toasting, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add

garlic, and stir for 1 minute. Add mixture to beans.

Combine broth, tomatoes, chipotle pepper,

guajillo pepper, and pasilla pepper in the pot, and

bring to a simmer. Cover, and simmer over low

heat, 1 hour. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add

additional water.) Carefully scoop out the chilies, and

discard them. Transfer mixture in batches into a blender,

and pulse to a slightly chunky consistency. Season with

salt and black pepper to taste. Serve garnished with

avocado slices and a sprig of cilantro.

NUTRITIONAL INFO241 calories per serving, 6 g fat (1 g saturated),

38 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 9 g protein, 761 mg sodium

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december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg