Art of Natural Living

Black Bean Soup is easy, healthy, and delicious!  Add fun toppings like crumbled chips, avocado, and red onion and even meat lovers will rave about this gluten free, vegan soup!

Is there a dish you’ve enjoyed at restaurants, but which absolutely refused to turn out at home? For me it was Black Bean Soup.

Yes, I’d tried a few times but, sadly, my attempts at this healthy classic always came up short.

So when the NY Times put out a recipe they swore was delicious and easy, I was all in.  Made mostly with canned ingredients, I can attest it was as tasty and fast as they claimed.

Now true confessions, I did make a couple changes (which you can take or leave) that ramped up both the flavor and nutrition. But if you need to super streamline, just skip my adds.  Read more

Rich and tasty, Shrimp Bisque is easy to make at home with this simple hack.  And it’s perfect soup for date nights, company dinners–or anytime!

I’m always excited when I visit a restaurant and see Seafood Bisque on the menu.  Their version is often made with lobster, but I think that (more economical) Shrimp Bisque is just as tasty.  And it’s easy to make with the simple shortcut I’m sharing today!

You see most recipes on the internet have you make a stock for the soup using the shrimp shells.  But that’s extra work and honestly you aren’t going to get a ton of extra flavor from a handful of shells. 

Instead, by using a premade seafood stock (or oyster liquor or clam juice), you actually start with a richer base.  Even better, this streamlines the preparation of the soup. 

Who’s in!  Read more