Black Bean and Roasted Poblano Soup + Gift Wrapping Ideas

For a meatless meal this soup is pretty incredible.  It had such amazing flavors.  Don't be scared of roasting the poblanos it is as simple as putting them on a pan under your broiler and turning them,  so easy.  The creaminess of the feta and the crispy saltiness of the pumpkin seeds are the perfect addition to the soup!

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Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblanos

Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit. Serves 3-4.

• 2 fresh poblano chiles
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 large dried ancho chile
• One 14.5 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 c. cooked black beans (about two 14.5 oz cans, rinsed and drained)
• kosher salt to taste
• 4 TBS roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the poblanos on a foil-lined baking tray, and broil for 8-12 minutes, turning every few minutes with tongs, until the peppers are blackened all over. Remove the peppers from the oven, and place them in a bowl, covering the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let the peppers steam under the plastic wrap for 15 minutes, then peel off and discard their skins, remove and discard the seeds and stems, and finely dice the pepper flesh.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves and saute until onion is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the seeds and stem from the dried ancho chile and discard. Place the ancho chile in the pan with the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until chile has softened and become pliable, about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, ancho chile, and tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth, then return the puree to the saucepan. Stir in the broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until the soup is thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the beans and the diced poblanos and cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
3. Divide the soup between 3 or 4 bowls, topping each with 1 TBS of pumpkin seeds, 2 TBS of crumbled feta cheese, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.

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One of my readers asked for some gift wrapping ideas so I rounded up a few!

I love this classic black/white/green combo.  

Splatter paint kraft paper.  You could use any paint color but I like the gold.  I buy kraft paper at our Dollar Store all the time so check there for rolls.

Love the idea of a sprig of Rosemary tucked in.

For the kids.  How awesome is this crayon/toy idea??

The names stamped on the paper is so cute.

Another adorable kid idea that would be a fun project to do with your kids is these fingerprint reindeer.  They sell the twine in the dollar section of Target if you are looking for some:)

and for the guys- this reindeer beer is pretty cute.

Have a great Friday!