Black Bean Soup

This soup is so so easy and comes together quickly. It is a great weeknight dinner and a great one for anyone who may not love soup or want soup for dinner. I served with quesadilla dippers which meant everyone had a part to fill up on. We topped it with cheese, salsa verde, and sour cream.

Soup is annoying to photograph – trust me that the flavor is fantastic. It is dairy-free and easy to be vegan, if needed.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped or grated
1, 29oz can black beans
2 cups broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the carrots and peppers in olive oil for about 7 minutes over medium heat until soft and mostly cooked through.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add in the black beans, broth, garlic, and cumin. Stir well and cook for ~30 minutes over low heat.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add half or 3/4 to a blender or food processor and carefully blend. Repeat in batches for the texture you prefer. (I blended almost all of it.)

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

Add more broth if desired. Serve with toppings as you like. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

One kid ate mostly soup and no quesadilla and the other ate mostly quesadilla and only a few bites of soup. I blended it a lot but wonder if they would have been more into it with more recognizable beans since they really like them. Sour cream is a good way to mellow it out a bit.

Make it ahead of time, or make in smaller batches. It would be great alongside a taco feast and has chili-ish vibes with all the toppings.

Seasonal Soup Round Up

‘Tis the season for soup. My littles do not always want foods all cooked together but are sort of interested in soup. Sometimes I give them more “stuff” and less broth. I ensure we have it with something else in case they aren’t all-in (like biscuits or crackers & cheese). Not all eaters consider soup to be a meal, so go all Panera on them and do soup & sandwich while figuring out what’s a hit.

Our easiest go-to is making tomato soup with grilled cheese. My cheater method is:
1 can of tomato soup + 1/2 can of milk or broth if it is condensed 
1 28 oz can of kitchen-ready tomatoes
plus whatever seasoning you like – some basil & garlic or a splash of cooking sherry makes it delightful. Stir in pesto or tortellini or whatever you like!

Cook together over medium-low heat for 15 minutes to get the tinny can flavor out

That is so fast & mindless and you get the hint of creaminess from the canned soup version with the not-sweetened canned tomatoes for true tomato flavor and I add an extra swirl of cream to the kids’ bowls to cool it down. 

Here are some of my personal favs: 

Greek Lemon, Orzo, and Chicken Soup
This one is so fresh and orzo-packed that I think it is filling yet simple. I always think it needs more and more lemon so have lots! Serve with hummus & pita chips

The Three Bite Rule - Greek Orzo Chicken Soup

Sweet & Smokey Chili (add some sweet potato!)
While mostly a basic chili, sweet and smokey chili gets a few last touches to sweeten it up – maple syrup, sweet potato, and liquid smoke. In the past, this one has been more palatable for the kids and toppings of cheese, corn, chips, and sour cream can help make it work well for everyone!

The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili

Cheeseburger Soup is so fun and really filling. We once did them in bread bowls but some croutons would be fun. I add an extra drizzle of ketchup, mustard and some scallions and pickles!

The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Soup

White Bean & Sausage Soup is quick and the sausage is nicely decadent while being loaded with greens. Sweet Italian sausage or spicy sausage are equally great. Serve with bread or rolls!

The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

Easy Homemade Ramen is a go-to lunch for me – with varying levels of add-ins. I’ve been known to chop a ton of arugula or some frozen spinach. Popping in some ginger paste or frozen ginger cubes and a splash of rice vinegar would all provide some big time flavor while using half the seasoning packet or your own broth.

The Three Bite Rule - Easy Ramen

Egg roll Bowl

This dinner was a fun once since I don’t cook a ton of Chinese inspired food- I leave that to the professionals. I do always order an egg roll with takeout so that idea led me here and the format of rice bowls work well for us. The kids were amusing – each eating different elements. T was all about the rice and just some of the rest, C was very into the meat and less-so into the other parts, thus, the beauty of letting them surprise us and having enough things that everyone can find something.  

The Three Bite Rule - Eggroll Bowl

Egg roll Bowls have a rice base, a ground meat mixture (could be pork, chicken, or beef) and a cooked cabbage slaw with crispy wonton strips on top. Some or all could be prepped in advance to warm & serve! 

Egg roll Bowl

Ingredients: (serves 4) 
1 1/2 cup white rice
2 cups water + 1 cup broth (or liquid quantities according to your rice)
1/2 – 3/4 pound of ground pork
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 1 clove)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bag shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger 
2 green onions
wonton strips
duck sauce 

Directions:
Prepare the rice – mine went into the pressure cooker for 4 minutes. 
In a large skillet, cook the ground pork over medium heat. When mostly cooked through (~5 minutes) drain out grease, and add in the garlic and soy sauce for the remaining ~5 minutes and sprinkle with green onions.

The Three Bite Rule - Eggroll Bowl

While the ground meat is cooking, heat another large skillet to medium heat and add in the cabbage, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced ginger. Toss well and cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through and softened, or with a crunch if you prefer!

The Three Bite Rule - Eggroll Bowl

Spoon the rice into bowls, top with meat mixture, and sprinkle on wonton strips. Drizzle with duck sauce. 
Enjoy! 

The Three Bite Rule - Eggroll Bowl

We had edamame pods with these and the kids love quiz one another if the pod is full or empty. They ate theirs disassembled and us grown up ate it as a rice bowl. 

We keep rice vinegar & sesame oil & soy sauce on hand for Peanut Sesame Noodles (a fan fav at home) and a few times we’ve had these Asian inspired burgers or this bowl reminded me we were overdue for some pad thai which uses a few too. 

Burger Beans

I love a regular burger – (don’t let these burger beans or my burger rice bowl fool you!) but this twist came from our beloved pizza beans on a quest for a quick dinner or lunch.

The Three Bite Rule - Burger Beans

These bean-based bowls are super high in protein and cook so quickly. They reheat perfectly with the other toppings separate so make a bunch or reheat as eaters in your house are needing a meal.

Burger Beans
Ingredients: (serves ~2)

1 can white beans
3 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato sauce
1/4 cup broth
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke or Worcestershire sauce
2 burger patties (I used veggie burgers)
2-3 strips bacon (skip if going vegetarian)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1-2 cups greens
3 pickle spears
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
ketchup & mustard

Directions:
Grill or pan fry the burgers.
Cook the bacon and drain. If desired, cook the onion until golden and caramelized.
Rinse beans and add to a pot with tomato and broth over medium heat. Add in the garlic powder and broth/Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes and add in the onions.

The Three Bite Rule - Burger Beans

Chop the greens, bacon, pickles, and shred the cheese.
Spoon beans into 2 bowls and add in the bacon, cheese, and burgers.

The Three Bite Rule - Burger Beans

Top with greens, pickles, and drizzles of ketchup and mustard.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Burger Beans

This was everything I wanted it to be. Warm beans & burger contrasting with crisp pickles & greens was perfect in every bite. The beans make it super filling so it is also a good time to make it vegetarian or to use a smaller portion if you have leftover ground meat or burgers.

Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter

Let’s amp up the basic quesadilla, shall we? A quesadilla is such an ideal lunch or dinner when I need something quick with just a few ingredients but flavored butter on the outside it just magical. It is such a great trick on a grilled cheese too. Cilantro not your thing? Chipotle butter would be fun! Ranch butter sounds delicious with the corn too!

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla with Cilantro Butter

No corn? Add in some beans! Maybe a few tomatoes? This is great to make a whole bunch and keep warm in the oven while they cook, or just make one. They reheat in the toaster oven, the oven, or in a skillet too.

Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter
Ingredients:

1-2 ears of corn
3 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
2 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup mozzarella (or pepper jack)

Directions:
Cook the corn then slice it off the cob.
Mix up the butter and cilantro with a sprinkle of salt.

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and assemble the quesadillas with corn and cheese in each.
Cook the quesadillas in a little bit of olive oil or with a generous spray of nonstick spray and flip once.
When lightly golden, spread on a little cilantro butter and cook for another minute on each side.

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

Let sit for 1-2 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

The herby-butter with gooey cheese and the pop of corn for texture all together makes magic. This is super easy but seemingly special. If the cilantro butter cooks too long it gets a little too toasty so start the cook in olive oil or spray. This is great dipped in salsa for acidity.