I should probably be calling this “detox” soup after my week of gluttony. For me, anything Mexican flavored is the best way to go if you’re trying to trick yourself into eating more healthy food. It’s a great way to get in lots of vegetables while still maintaining tons of flavor. When I found the black bean tortilla soup from the Cookie + Kate book, I knew I had to give it a try with some Heal Your Headache migraine diet updates.
Speaking of my week of gluttony, did you all have a great Thanksgiving? In case you missed it, I did a presentation for VEDA about managing Vestibular Migraine through the holidays. We had some technical difficulties, but I heard the last 20 minutes was really helpful if you’d like to fast forward. Some of the tips were ones I implemented myself while spending time with my family, like doing the grocery shopping yourself so you can double check the labels. I also talk a little bit about how I got through some dark days and depression right after my diagnosis.
For our Thanksgiving, we drove 16 hours with the dogs in tow to visit my family in Arizona. Overall I did really well with my vestibular symptoms! This sandwich always gets me through those trips without feeling super sluggish. We made the majority of the recipes I posted last week including the green bean casserole and the chipotle sweet potatoes. I can’t say that anyone was super excited about seeing the sweet potatoes on the menu, particularly the dads. Perhaps skeptical is the right word? If your dad is anything like mine, the only acceptable potato is a plain russet that’s been baked, with at least 1/4 cup of butter on top. But it was the sneaky winner of the evening, with everyone raving about how delicious and unique it is. My dad even had seconds!
There’s usually one big cooking fail at every holiday, and I took the (cheese)cake this year. I made my pumpkin cheesecake with the sunflower seed crust and somehow my crust burnt to a crisp with the same cooking time I used at home. Could it have been the darker pan? My mother in laws fancy oven? The drier climate??? I’ll never know. This is officially why I can’t stand baking. If we’re being totally honest my football team was probably the biggest fail of the evening, but that’s neither here nor there.
You know what won’t be a fail? This soup! It’s nearly impossible to mess up, it cooks very quickly, and it’s warm, comforting, and delicious on cold winter nights. I dare you to try to make it without humming Feliz Navidad.
Inspired by the recipe from Love Real Food, this updated version is migraine and vegan friendly, while also being gluten free. It's the perfect recipe for cold winter nights and easy, yet flavorful family dinners.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium size shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb peeled sweet potatoes, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 small jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 14.5oz cans black beans, drained
- 1 14.5oz can diced tomato
- 4 cups vegetable broth * I used Trader Joe's Hearty Vegetable
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp ground chili powder * Chipotle works well here too
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- kosher salt to taste
- corn chips or tortillas for topping
In a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat 2tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, sweet potatoes, corn, and jalapeno and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Stir until the shallots and potatoes become softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and stir till fragrant. Then add your beans and tomatoes and stir to combine. Finally add your broth. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow it to come to a low simmer. Continue to simmer (not boil) for about 30 minutes.
Once the soup is ready, stir in any additional salt, 2 tbsp of vinegar, and fresh cilantro. Top with tortilla chips when ready to serve.
If you'd like to make your own tortilla chips like I did, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, brush your tortilla with olive oil on both sides, and bake for about 7-9 minutes until lightly browned.
*Soups are always more flavorful the next day if you'd like to make this ahead. If you're not vegan and would love a migraine friendly sour cream alternative - try blending 1/2 cup of Daisy cottage cheese until smooth.
Hi, this looks great! Just wondering about the broth…there are onions in it. I was also about to make a turkey soup and noticed the broth I bought (Pacific organic chicken stock unsalted) has onions it. I am following hyh and am supposed to avoid onions. Do you think its just a small act so its not a problem?
Hi Allison, When I was really strict the first few months, I made this broth in my instant pot and just kept it frozen. It’s pretty easy to do on a Sunday and then keep the chicken for sandwiches and salads that week. If you’re not up for it though, there’s really not a good, safe broth out there like you say. I like Trader Joe’s Hearty Vegetable because 1. the onions aren’t really high on the ingredient list 2. they’re cooked, which seems to be less of a trigger than raw 3. it’s strained so you’re not eating the actual onion. I’m personally in the camp of “don’t drive yourself crazy over it”, but I know some people who are very strict would disagree with me. 🙂
Hi Alicia – Which brand of diced canned tomatoes and beans would you recommend? These first few grocery trips since my diagnosis have been a bit intimidating!
Hey Wendy, If you can find a brand called Pomi, they don’t put any additives in their tomatoes. You may just have to check the backs of some cans. Just remember you want as close to just “tomatoes” as possible. Same thing with beans! I typically buy mine at Trader Joe’s. Hope that helps.
My best friend and I made this for dinner the other night… it was AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much, as always.
I’m so happy about that, Katie! Thanks for your review. 🙂
Yum, this was great! I replaced the black beans with a couple pounds of boneless chicken thighs (since other migraine diets don’t allow beans), then topped it with some fresh mozza cheese. Not so vegan anymore, but extra delicious!