CSD Day 7: Creamy Black Bean Soup

Happy Wednesday to all of my wonderful readers I can’t believe we are already over halfway through this week! I also can’t believe my spring break is more than half way over I have been quite productive during the first half catching up on cleaning, organizing, practicum hours and work. I do plan to spend the second half relaxing a bit more and this weekend Dutch and I are headed to visit my family, I can’t wait! I am also extremely excited about my amazing lunch today and could not wait to get hone from work so I could share it with you!

Creamy Black Bean Soup

vegan + gluten free

Ingredients:

2 Cans black beans drained and rinsed

1 1/2-2 c vegetable stock (make sure its gluten free)

1/4 c prepared salsa (I used TJ’s roasted garlic)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

cilantro

hot sauce (optional)

Directions: Drain and rinse beans, reserve 1/4 c and add the rest to your blender. Add 1 1/2 c stock , cumin, salsa, salt, and garlic, blend until smooth adding more stock if needed. If using a vitamix blend 3-4 minutes or until hot, if using a regular blender transfer mixture to a pot and warm over medium low heat. Stir in reserved beans, garnish with cilantro and drizzle with cashew cream. Serve! Serves 4

Nutrition Info: 233 calories 1 g fat 15 g protein 15 g fiber (without the cashew creme)

Cashew Creme

1/2 c cashews soaked

Directions: add 1/4 c cashews to a blender and cover with water, blend until smooth. Add the remaining cashews with blender running until you reach a thick cream like consistency adding water if needed. Drizzle cashew cream over prepared soup and serve!

This soup is so rich and the addition of cashew cream adds a new dimension of  silkiness  that makes this dish irresistible.  Not to mention this soup is packed with protein and fiber to keep you full for hours!

Dessert was my mid afternoon “cocktail”

Into the juicer went, 2 cucumbers, 2 fuji apples, 1 lemon, 4 carrots, 2 c spinach, 1 c mixed greens, 2 broccoli stalks, 1 piece ginger, and 1 c sprouts. Basically a blend of everything going bad in the fridge!

Surprisingly this juice tasted awesome, so tangy and refreshing! It gave me an immediate boost of energy perfect to power me through my busy afternoon

So today marks day 7 of my Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse and I have continued to feel better each day. The biggest change I have noticed is in my digestion, I dont have bloating or indigestion after meals, everything moves smoothly. I also don’t have that “crash” after eating, instead I feel energized and comfortable. In the week ahead I want to focus on getting even more greens into my diet and also  increase my consumption of salads. Overall this cleanse has been much easier than I ever anticipated I don’t feel like im missing out on anything. I have exercised for 35 minutes each day this week but I have yet to try meditation. Definitely something I need to try during the cleanse so I plan on incorporating that in at some point next week.

This quote from day 6 really stuck with me so I thought I would share it as well as reflect on what it means to me.

Each step is a victory. Each fall is a lesson. Either way, I am improving now.

As I have progressed through the cleanse I have begun to realize every step I am making throughout the process is one towards better health. I will never be perfect, no one is, but each little change I make I have noticed a change in the way I feel and I love that. Will I ever be a complete gluten free vegan? Probably not I do occasionally love whole wheat bread, fish, and cheese, but will I save these food items of special occasions? Absolutely. Life is about balance and I believe that I little bit of cheese on a cracker filled with gluten won’t kill me, but I have realized how much better my body functions without them. In order for me to continue feeling my absolute best I realize how I need to treat my body and I plan to do that. I also plan to continue affirmations as well as daily prayer to keep my life centered on what is really important.  Although I don’t believe in harsh detoxes and cleanses I do believe that everyone should do small diets and cleanses such as this one to reset their bodies and refocus on what health truly is.

I’m off to fix some dinner and enjoy the evening have a great night!