Sunday Black-Bean Soup
Published October 14, 1989
- Total Time
- 3 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans
½ pound bacon, preferably nitrite-free
3 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 tablespoons canola or corn oil
4 coarsely chopped carrots
3 coarsely chopped onions
3 coarsely chopped celery ribs
½ to 1 fresh jalapeno pepper or 1 3 ½- to 4-ounce can mild jalapenos, minced
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
1 pound spicy sausage (see note)
1 cup dry sherry
Juice from ½ to 1 lime
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving
79 grams carbs; 98 milligrams cholesterol; 930 calories; 18 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 47 grams fat; 18 grams fiber; 1299 milligrams sodium; 45 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
To soak beans quickly, cover them with generous amount of water, cover pot, bring water to boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove cover and allow beans to sit in the liquid for one hour. Drain.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, slice meaty part of bacon from fat. Discard fat.
- Step 3
When beans are ready to cook, add meaty bacon to beans along with chicken stock and enough water to cover generously; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
- Step 4
In hot oil, saute carrots, onions, celery, jalapeno, garlic and cumin until onions are golden. When vegetables are ready, add to pot of beans. If there is not enough water, add more. Cook beans 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until tender. Season with salt, if desired.
- Step 5
Just before beans are ready, cook sausage; slice into small chunks.
- Step 6
Drain the bean mixture and reserve cooking liquid. Puree beans and vegetables, using some of the reserved liquid to make a thick soup. Return to cooking pot. Stir in sherry and lime juice. Add more reserved liquid, if necessary, and reheat to serve.
- Step 7
Divide sausage chunks among bowls, and spoon soup into each bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro.
The sausage usually served with black bean soup is chorizo. If it is not available or you prefer sausage with less fat, some stores carry a well-seasoned smoked turkey kielbasa. Some sausages are also available without nitrites.
If you want to make a complete meal out of the soup, either serve larger portions, add rice to the bowl to make a stew or round out the meal with some crusty bread.
Private Notes
Comments
Works best, imho, if beans are soaked overnight as opposed to "quick soak" as described in step 1. Recommend choosing bacon or sausage as both is 'too much'; we used sausage. (Mexican chorizo not Spanish.) Lots of flavor in soup so water works instead of chicken broth. Prefer simmering sherry in soup for about 20 minutes or so to soften it. Then add lime juice at end for fresh acid 'zing'. Good day of making. Better day or two later. Freezes well.
Like many soups and stews, this one tastes even better as a leftover. Good even without the sausage.
This soup was a disaster. Beans took forever to cook, I kept adding more and more liquid, then of course it needed more liquid in offer to puree. I certainly liked the idea of all the flavors and used up a bunch of homemade broth. Nope will never try this one again.
Works best, imho, if beans are soaked overnight as opposed to "quick soak" as described in step 1. Recommend choosing bacon or sausage as both is 'too much'; we used sausage. (Mexican chorizo not Spanish.) Lots of flavor in soup so water works instead of chicken broth. Prefer simmering sherry in soup for about 20 minutes or so to soften it. Then add lime juice at end for fresh acid 'zing'. Good day of making. Better day or two later. Freezes well.
Like many soups and stews, this one tastes even better as a leftover. Good even without the sausage.