Black Bean Soup recipe that I've tinkered with over the years to get right:
Ingredients: Use quality, fresh food. Your taste buds will thank you!
1 medium onion – pureed or chopped very fine
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 celery stalks – finely chopped
¼ red bell pepper – finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1½ cups organic chicken stock
2 cans black beans (15 oz cans—do not drain)
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
lemon juice (from ½ a lemon)
Instructions:
1. Chop the onion, celery, bell pepper; and mince the garlic.
2. Add the oil to a large pot over a medium high heat.
3. Add the vegetables and sauté until onions are translucent.
4. Add the chicken broth and raise the heat to high.
5. Add the black beans, cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. If your beans and chicken stock are low sodium, then use 1 tsp salt. The cayenne will add some optional spiciness!
6. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil and cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Using a potato masher, mash the beans until you’ve reached your desired consistency. I like plenty of whole beans in the soup, so I don’t mash too much.
8. Add the lemon juice, cover, and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
This is one of my favorites. It’s great alone. I like to top my bowl of beans with some fresh chopped green onions. It’s also good with some grilled smoked sausage/kielbasa on the side. I typically chop the remaining bell pepper into bite sized pieces, coat with a little olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper; and eat it along with the bean soup and sausage. Alternatively, a Caesar or Greek salad pairs great with the bean soup. Yum!!!
That sounds really good. Does it go well with cornbread?