Acorn Squash Black Bean Soup Bowls

 Ingredients

Soup:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2- 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained, (or 3 cups cooked black beans)
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups salsa, (I use a low sodium brand such as Muir)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
• 2 cups spinach, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (for garnishing)
• 1 avocado, diced (for garnishing)

Acorn Squash Bowls:

• 4 acorn squash, halved (or tops removed)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

‍ Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° degrees.
2. Cut the acorn squash into halves or for small squash simply cut the tops off only. Remove the seeds and pulp. Brush the inside and edges of the squash with maple syrup and sprinkle salt and pepper. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the squash flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Bake times will vary depending on the thickness of the squash. Remove and allow to cool slightly before adding the soup.
3. While the squash is baking begin making the soup. In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onions, green peppers, jalapeno, and garlic in a small amount of water until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the black beans, vegetable broth, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and salt to taste. Cook for 10-15 minutes. While the soup is cooking, scoop out half of the soup and process in a blender until smooth and creamy. Return the pureed mixture to the pot. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup right in the pot.)
5. Stir in the corn and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Serve warm.
6. Spoon the soup into each squash half and garnish with cilantro and avocado slices. Serve immediately.

✏️ Tips & Hints

• You can use almost any creamy soup or stew to fill baked acorn squash. I love to fill ours with the baked potato soup from the PlantPure Nation Cookbook.