Black Bean Soup
I’ve got a pot of black bean soup simmering away on the stove right now. The recipe is based on the soup we served at Cha Cha Cha, a now-defunct Mexican joint I worked at in Massachusetts. This recipe is typically vegetarian, but because I’m under the weather, I added chicken broth.
1 onion, quartered and oven roasted
1 green bell pepper, roasted and peeled
3 chili peppers (or 1 jalapeno), 2 of them seeded
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1.5 cups chopped whole peeled tomato
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs coriander
chili powder to taste (more than 1 tbs, to say the least)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp pepper (or to taste)
Salt to taste
1 bay leaf
pinch sugar
2 cans black beans (the 1lb 12oz size cans)
1.5 cups chicken broth.
1 cup beer (I used Yards Extra Special Ale)
I never use dried black beans: yes, they taste a little better, but you have to soak them overnight, and then you have to cook the soup for three hours (and that’s on a professional range: it’s more like four hours at home).
Chop the onion, chili peppers, and bell peppers and set aside.
Heat the olive oil over moderately high heat. When hot but not smoking, add crushed red pepper and salt, fry until seeds pop. Add onions, chili peppers, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir fry briefly, then stir in tomatoes, spices, bay leaf, and sugar. Stir fry about 5 minutes.
Pour in beans, including liquid. Rinse cans with the chicken broth to maximise beaniness, add to the soup, then pour in beer. Cover and heat to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for a half-hour (at least: in my opinion, the soup gets really rich at the one hour mark), alternating between covered and partially covered. Stir occasionally.
Remove bay leaf, and puree.
This soup goes great with over rice, with a sprinkle of scallions, fried tortilla strips, and a dollop of sour cream on top (if you’re not all congested and snotty, like I am today). The pinch of sugar takes the edge off the acid from the tomatoes, and the chilis add some mellow heat.
3 Responses to “Black Bean Soup”
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December 28th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
i have never found black beans to take that long brendan. they’d have to be really really old! and not rinsing and using the bean juice? yuck!
i like the roasted onion/peppers idea though! and beer mmmmmmmm.
and hey, i have some fresh bay leaves for you if you remember to remind me.
December 29th, 2006 at 1:20 am
where did you find fresh bay leaves?
December 29th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
I think dried beans taste much better. Get yourself a pressure cooker. The modern ones are very safe (I have a Kuhn Rikon). Black beans take 10-12 minutes. You still need to soak them, so I just plan a day in advance.