Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup

From Diabetic Living, Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes.

Est. Cost perenrtire dish:  $3.15          Est. Cost per serving: $0.53

(cost is based of my local market costs, yours will vary)
Servings: Six 1 1/3 cup servings

2 cups dry pinto beans
2 14oz cans of reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin*
1/4 cayenne pepper
1 14.5oz can fire-roasted dice tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup shredded reduce-fat monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

* Estimated costs do not include the cost of cumin or garlic, I already had it in my pantry and dont remember how much I paid for it.

1. Rinse dry beans, through out unwanted or blemished beans.  Combined beans with 5 cups water and boil uncovered for 10 minutes or until tender.  Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse.  (or skip this by using canned beans that are rinsed and drained which will add to the cost).

2. In a 4qt or simular sized slow cooker, combine beans, broth, the 1/2 cup water, the onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat for 4-5 hours. ( I prefer the longer cooking time.)

4. Stir in undrained tomatoes; cover and cook for 30 minutes more.  You can use a potato masher to mash this up slightly but leave a bit chunky.  Top individual servings with cheese and green onion

per serving nutritional info:
Cal. 275
Total fat: 2g (1g sat fat)
Chol: 5mg
Sodium: 538mg
Carb 46g
Fiber 10g
Prot. 18g

Net carbs - 16g