Meatless Chili

(everyone that has had it says they don't even miss the meat!)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic (or more) chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped zuchinni
1 (14oz.)can low-sodium stewed tomatoes
1 (14oz.)can tomato sauce
1 pkg. chili seasoning
2 cans kidney beans or chili beans

Cover the bottom of a large saucepan with 3-4 tbs.of water. Add the chopped onion, celery, gr. pepper and garlic. Saute' until wilted, 3-4 mins.
Add the zucchini and cook until tender, 5-10 mins.

Add the tomatoes, juice and all, the tomato sauce, chili seasoning and beans. Simmer for about 1 hour. (I like to put mine in a crock pot at this point) 

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Resource:  Our Vested Life  (get step by step, with pictures)

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Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice

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Ingredients

Serves 4
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Garnishes (optional): lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and sliced radishes
Directions

Prepare rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes, if desired.
Helpful Hint

If you like, serve this protein-rich vegetarian dish with brown rice to boost the health factor even more. It's also delicious with chips or tortillas alongside. Canned beans are a great time-saver to stock in the pantry, but they're often high in sodium, so rinse them in a colander before using.

From Martha Stewart

Black Bean Soup - Cooking Light

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Serve with:  Chicken and Cheese quesadillas

I found this recipe in Cooking Light 9/08 (Black Bean-Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream) -- and searched on line so I didn't have to retype.  (I know -- lazy)  This is what they had on line.  Almost the same soup -- but with just  a few exceptions:  dry beans, 12 vs 4 servings, jalepeno, and the sour cream is plain.  Don't know which one would be better!  So I added the comparisons in blue -- 

Ingredients (Black Bean Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream)

1 pound dried black beans (1 15 oz can , drained and rinsed)
2 bacon slices, chopped (same)
1 cup chopped onion (1/2 cup)
3/4 cup chopped carrot (none)
3/4 cup chopped celery (1/4 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced (1 clove)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (none)
4 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (1 can)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained (1 can diced)
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro (1 Tbsp minced)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon salt (none but did add 1 tsp cumin)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (1/4 tsp)
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream (1/4 cup)
none here ( 1/2 tsp grated lime rind)

Preparation

• Sort and wash beans; place in a large bowl. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse beans.
  
• Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Add onion, carrot, and celery to drippings in pan; sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté 2 minutes. 
• Stir in seasonings (reserving 1/4 tsp cumin).  
•  Add beans, bacon, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender (10 minutes for canned). 
• Place 4 cups soup in a blender or food processor; let stand 5 minutes. Process until smooth; return pureed soup to pan. 
• Stir in cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with sour cream. (Combine sour cream, remaining cumin, cilantro, rind and juice)

Yield
12 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 tablespoon sour cream) (4 - 1 cup servings; 1 1/2 Tbsp Cilantro -Lime Cream)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 215(20% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.7g); IRON 3mg; CHOLESTEROL 8mg; CALCIUM 95mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.5g; SODIUM 570mg; PROTEIN 12g; FIBER 7.7g