Caren McSherry of Gourmet Warehouse shares a recipe for black bean soup.
Ingredients
– 3 cups black turtle beans
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– 1 large yellow onion
– 4 garlic cloves, minced
– 3 celery stalks, diced
– Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
– 8 cups chicken stock
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 1 tsp ground coriander seed
– 1 tsp Mexican oregano
– 2 Bay leaves
– 1 Diced jalapeño, or 1 tbsp caribe chile flakes
– 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Garnish
1/2 cup tequila (optional)
Sour cream or asiago cheese
Piri piri sauce (optional)
Method
Sort the beans, taking care to remove any small black stones. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Cover the beans with fresh water and bring to the boil again. Drain again and set aside.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are limp. Add the salt and pepper, drained black beans, stock, cumin, coriander, oregano, bay leaves, and jalapeño. Let the soup simmer until the beans are soft. Stir in the chopped cilantro.
Adjust the salt and pepper to suit your taste. If you like really soup, remove two cups of the beans, purée them and stir them back into the soup.
Garnish with a splash of the tequila and a generous dollop of sour cream or grated cheese. Piri piri is a nice hot finish if you like it extra spicy.
If you prefer more substance to your soup and you are not vegetarian, cube 1/2 lb of bacon or pancetta and fry it along with the onion mixture.
Serves 8-10
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