Tuesday, March 2. 2010
Mexican black bean soup
Tuesday, March 2. 2010
A few years ago, I bought this fabulous cookbook about soups -- Twelve Months of Monastary Soups by d'Avila-Latourrette. It's got some great bones for soup recipes and is absolutely fabulous for those wanting to get into using seasonal produce.Black bean soups and chilis are great food for the winter, because they're rich and hearty and the spiciness warms you from the inside out. They also reheat fabulously, for those with smaller households or who like to bring their lunch.
This soup is on the thin side as written on the book (with an extra cup of water), but I like my soups on the thicker side. I'm totally guilty of using up half a package of saltines in thin soups to get it to the consistency I like. The photo above was taken on the third eating of the soup, so it's really starting to thicken up.
Mexican Black Bean Soup
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño (or chipotle, or serrano), minced
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (or 2-3 peeled and chopped tomatoes)
2 15 oz cans of black beans
8 oz frozen corn kernels (or the kernels from 3 cobs, grilled, optional)
2 C quartered and sliced zucchini (optional)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 C chicken stock (or veggie stock)
3 Tbs dried cilantro (or 1/2 C fresh, chopped)
1 Tbs cumin (or southwest seasoning blend)
2 Tbs lime juice
salt, pepper to taste
sour cream, chopped cilantro for garnish
Pour the olive oil in a good-sized soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for two minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and tomatoes and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down.
Add the black beans (and the liquids from the can), potatoes, zucchini, corn, and stock. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook slowly, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat abd let the soup rest (covered) for 5 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with a teaspoon of sour cream and fresh cilantro.
As you can see in the photo, I serve mine with a dollop of guacamole and a pinch of cheese instead of the dollop sour cream called because I try not to eat too much dairy and I like how the guac thickens it a bit. (There WAS a tiny bit of cottage cheese at the top, though, because I like adding a little cottage cheese or sour cream to my guac for extra creaminess.)
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño (or chipotle, or serrano), minced
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (or 2-3 peeled and chopped tomatoes)
2 15 oz cans of black beans
8 oz frozen corn kernels (or the kernels from 3 cobs, grilled, optional)
2 C quartered and sliced zucchini (optional)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
6 C chicken stock (or veggie stock)
3 Tbs dried cilantro (or 1/2 C fresh, chopped)
1 Tbs cumin (or southwest seasoning blend)
2 Tbs lime juice
salt, pepper to taste
sour cream, chopped cilantro for garnish
Pour the olive oil in a good-sized soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onion for two minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and tomatoes and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down.
Add the black beans (and the liquids from the can), potatoes, zucchini, corn, and stock. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook slowly, covered, for about 20 minutes.
Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat abd let the soup rest (covered) for 5 minutes. Serve hot and garnish with a teaspoon of sour cream and fresh cilantro.
As you can see in the photo, I serve mine with a dollop of guacamole and a pinch of cheese instead of the dollop sour cream called because I try not to eat too much dairy and I like how the guac thickens it a bit. (There WAS a tiny bit of cottage cheese at the top, though, because I like adding a little cottage cheese or sour cream to my guac for extra creaminess.)
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