The Dynamic Duo

For the longest time we referred to our 3 middle boys, born consecutively, as the Three Musketeers. They punched, they fought, they argued, they laid on each other while sleeping. Now that we have our two youngest boys, born consecutively and 5 and 7 years younger than our other children, they are the Dynamic Duo...they punch, they fight, they argue and they lay on top of David and me while sleeping. Maybe one day I'll miss not getting to stretch out in my own bed or snuggle up next to my own husband because the Dynamic Duo will be old enough to finally sleep alone. Maybe.

This soup is fun and makes a great presentation with little effort. I used black bean soup and beer cheese soup, but the possibilities and combinations are as endless as your culinary imagination. I'm thinking veggie chili & corn chowder, cream of asparagus soup and butternut squash soup, tomato bisque and cream of broccoli, just to name a few. The two soups just need to be roughly the same viscosity and pretty much creamy...you wouldn't want to use, say, chicken noodle or vegetable because they are broth- based.

These two recipes are uber easy and pantry friendly.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

(3) 15 oz. cans black beans, drained

(1) 14.5 oz can Rotel brand Tomatoes and Green Chiles

1 c. veg or no chicken broth (I use Imagine brand No Chicken broth)

1 T. cumin

1T chili Powder

1 t. garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste.

Heat all ingredients except for 1 can of the black beans in a saucepan over med. heat until heated through. Puree the soup until fairly creamy using an immersion blender or by transferring in batches to a blender. Put back into pot and add the remaining beans and stir. Easy!

Beer Cheese Soup

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 T. Earth Balance or other vegan "butter"

1 clove garlic, minced

12 oz. beer (I used Michelob Ultra, but a stringer beer might give more flavor)

1 T. vegan Worchestershire sauce

2 c. unsweetened soy milk (I used Westsoy brand)

2 c. No Chicken broth ( I used Imagine brand)

1 T cornstarch + 1/4 c. cold water, mixed into a slurry

2 c. vegan cheese (I used Daiya cheddar flavor, but I bet Ste. Martaen brand Colby would be great, too)

Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in Earth Balance. Add in worchestershire and beer and stir well. Bring to a boil (to evaporate the alcohol) and cook for 3 minutes. Add broth, return to the boil then stir in the cornstarch/water mixture, whisking well. Turn heat down to medium, add the milk and cheese and whisk well to melt the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the duo soup:

Take a ladleful of each soup and at the same time, pour side by side into the soup bowl. I garnished these soups with a tablespoon of salsa and chopped scallion tops. Have fun with the possibilities!