Smoky Vegetarian Mexican Soup

First soup to celebrate the crisp autumn air! It only seems fair to kick off soup season with Smoky Corn, Red Pepper, & Brown Rice Soup. It’s deliciously “smoked” thanks to smoked paprika, but a hearty Mexican soup with corn, beans, and rice. Make this a one pot meal by easily cooking the rice right in the soup. This soup was so tasty with some nonfat Greek yogurt (swap for sour cream!), a little lime juice to brighten it, and some sweet potato chips to add a little sweet and salty to the smoky heartiness.

Ingredients (serves 8).

• 2 t light olive oil
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1½ bell peppers, diced (I used a mix of red and orange)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 T smoked paprika
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t paprika
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1 T tomato paste
• 6 c vegetable broth
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 c brown rice, dry
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
• 1½ c frozen corn
• 1½ c frozen cauliflower, diced
• Salt to taste

Directions.

1. In a large soup pan, add oil and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 min.
2. Add peppers, celery, and onion. Sauté until tender.
3. Stir in smoked paprika through tomato paste. Continue to sauté veggies with spices until again fragrant, about 1-2 min.
4. Pour in broth and mix in crushed tomatoes and rice. Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer until rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in kidney beans, corn, and cauliflower. Continue to simmer about 5-10 min until corn and cauliflower are tender. Remove from heat.
6. Dish up 1½ c servings. Top with nonfat Greek yogurt and juice from a lime wedge and serve with sweet potato tortilla chips (all optional!).
7. Enjoy!

Adapted from Savory‘s “Red Pepper and Corn Soup with Spanish Rice.”

Nutrition for 1 serving (1½ c) without toppings.

248 calories  •  2.5 g fat (8%)  •  52.3 g carbs (78%)  •  9.3 g protein (14%)  •  8.2 g fiber  •  10.6 g sugar  •  385 mg sodium

* These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.