Black Bean Salsa Soup

1 pound chicken
1 cup dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
4 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

--1 spoonful of light sour cream (to stir in at the end)
--shredded light cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)

***omit chicken, and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth for a vegetarian version.

Drain and rinse the beans, then add to the crockpot. Place the chicken breast on top of the beans, then add broth, salsa and cumin.
Cover and cook on high for 9 hours. If using frozen chicken, remove from the crock pot after 5 hours or so (that way it doesn’t overcook).

If you are using beans you soaked overnight, canned beans, or pre-cooked beans, you can cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5--similar to normal soup-cooking time.

If you'd like to thicken the broth, you can use your immersible blender to blend a bit of the beans and chicken. If you don't have one, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your traditional blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot.

--Stir in the spoonful of light sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded light cheddar cheese or avocado slices, if desired.
--This soup is also excellent served with a bag of our Physician’s Plan chips (Ranch Crunch or Cheddar Cheese Double Bites are my favorite!)
--Use less liquid and this recipe is perfect for soft tacos. Just add lettuce, and be sure to use a low carb wrap to keep this recipe light.