Since I’ve been spending a lot of my spare time bird watching, I’ve slipped into cooking so many “ridiculously easy” recipes that I’ve decided to make Ridiculously Easy a permanent feature on the blog.

Through the magic of blogging, I’ve gone back in time to add a tag to many of the recipes that fit into this category, dishes that take just a few minutes or that allow you to dump your ingredients into a pot and let them cook a short time while you’re free to do other things. Just click on the tag to see the first few recipes that I’ve categorized as Ridiculously Easy, or R.E for short.

Today’s easy recipe turned out to be so delicious and comforting that I can see it becoming a regular meal at my house. Like my last R.E. recipe, it uses refried beans (though I assure you that not all my ridiculous recipes do!) I know that some people turn their noses up at canned refried beans, and though I agree that freshly made taste better, the canned version is such a great convenience.

In this soup, they contribute a wonderful creamy mouth-feel that will make you think the soup is richer than it is. But if you don’t like using canned refried beans, you can always do it the old fashioned way: whiz up a cup and a half of pinto beans in your food processor with a little of their liquid and add them straight to the soup. No frying needed!

For those of you following Weight Watchers Freestyle, this Soup has zero points. Check out more of my zero point recipes.

Print Pin 5 from 17 votes Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box Smoky Refried Bean Soup This soup is so thick it’s almost a chili. Use the minimum amounts of chipotle chili powder and hot sauce to make this a mild dish or add more to make it as hot as you dare. Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 Author Susan Voisin Ingredients 1 large onion chopped 1 large onion chopped

3-4 cloves garlic minced 3-4 cloves garlic minced

1 green bell pepper chopped 1 green bell pepper chopped

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes I used fire-roasted 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes I used fire-roasted

15 ounces fatfree refried beans 1 can 15 ounces fatfree refried beans 1 can

15 ounces cooked black beans 1 can 15 ounces cooked black beans 1 can

1 cup frozen corn kernels 1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8-1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder to taste 1/8-1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder to taste

1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste 1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano optional 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano optional

salt and pepper to taste salt and pepper to taste Instructions Heat a large, non-stick pot and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for one more minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook until the flavors blend, 20-30 minutes. Notes Serving suggestion: Garnish with fresh tomato salsa and serve with baked tortilla chips and a large salad. One serving is zero points on Weight Watchers Freestyle program. Nutrition Facts Smoky Refried Bean Soup Amount Per Serving (1 serving) Calories 261 % Daily Value* Sodium 852mg 37% Carbohydrates 50g 17% Fiber 14.4g 60% Protein 15.2g 30% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Post a photo to Instagram and tag @susanffvk

Thanks to everyone who emailed and left comments identifying my mystery birds. The robins and cedar waxwings are still hanging around, even after last night’s storms. I’ve discovered that they’ve finished the hackberries and are now eating our holly berries, so I’m hoping there’s enough food for them to stick around a while.

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