i am all about spicing up store-bought dishes when i’m in a time crunch and craving something more satisfying than a simple sandwich or quick salad. i am a huge fan of dr. mcdougall’s vegan soups that require a couple of cups of boiling water to transform a powdery mix into a small meal, and come in packages that look something like this:

although this a great quick dinner, sometimes the mixes are underwhelming. specifically, the black bean soup as it is a little lumpy and lacks flavor. it does, however, serve as a great base for a new recipe- spicy black bean soup with chicken and mexican vegetables.

to start the soup transformation, i followed the package directions to make the lumpy base. then, i shredded about a cup of chicken breast and chopped red peppers and spanish onion which were then sauteed together with coconut oil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, a clove of garlic, and oregano to create the mixture that would spice up the dish.

next, i combined the sauteed chicken and vegetables with the pre-made soup and then added a squeeze of lime, extra salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of tortilla strips atop to add texture to the soup. the final product was satisfying, hearty, and not at all bland like the original product. here it is:

dishes like this are perfect for when you lack the time to prepare a full meal, but are also easy recipes for less-experienced cooks, as allowing the grocery store to provide the base of the meal takes the prep work out of cooking.

happy creating!

xx gabby