Black Bean Soup

 

I like to refer to this time of year as soup season because I absolutely love a big bowl of hearty soup on a cold day. And this one is quickly becoming a favorite.

I was looking through a new to me cookbook a while back and ran into a couple of recipes for different black bean soups. I didn’t have all the ingredients for either of them on hand but as I started reading the recipes this combination kind of came together in my mind. I had to try it that night since I had all the ingredients on hand and it was wonderful. In the end this recipe takes elements from probably 4 or 5 different recipes I have either tried over the years or read through but didn’t get the chance to make them.

Lets talk about the process for this soup.

I do admit there is a lot of vegetable chopping involved in this one but I really love the combination that I came up with.

There is one jalapeno in the pot but don’t let that scare you away, by the time it is cooked with everything else the heat is really mild (at least in my opinion) just be sure to remove the ribs and seeds and cut it up pretty small.

The carrots along with the onion lend a bit of sweetness and make this seem very healthy. I added some sweet pepper also. I had part of a bag of the mini peppers in the fridge so that is what I used but part of a bell pepper would work also.

Do be sure to cook the dry spices a couple of minutes along with the garlic, this will make them so much better than just dumping them into the pot.

As for de-glazing the pan with the Tequila, it is totally optional and you can feel free to skip it. I like the flavor it gives the soup, and no it doesn't taste like tequila it is very subtle but yummy.

I used my black beans that I cook in the Instant Pot and keep in the freezer in place of canned beans. If you use as many black beans as I do I recommend cooking them from dry and keeping a stash in the freezer. It’s an easy process and you are in total control of what is in them and the quality of them. You can find my blog post on how I do them here.

Now let’s talk about Better than Bouillon, I love this stuff and almost always have several flavors in the fridge. They last a pretty long time even opened and they give so much flavor to your cooking. They can usually be found near the soups and bouillons in the grocery store.

 

 

So the process of making this soup. First we are going to sweat the veggies in a bit of oil. This starts the cooking process and allows the flavors of them to mix together and start to form the wonderfulness of this bowl of soup.

 

 

 

 

Once the onions are softened go ahead and add the garlic and the dry seasonings. Give them a couple of minutes to start to cook. You will know it is time to move to the next step when they release their aromas and become fragrant. This does help to open up the flavors so much so don’t skip this step.

Now the optional step of de-glazing the pan with Tequila. You can skip it but I love the subtle flavor it gives the finished soup.

Now add the beans, water and Better than Bouillon and bring everything to a full boil. Then immediately reduce the heat and cover the pan. Allow the soup to simmer with the lid on for 1 hour. This gives time for all the flavors to come together.

Once the hour is up divide between your soup bowls. I found I got 3 pretty perfect size portions of this soup to have as a the main part of the meal.

I like to top mine with some shredded cheese, cubed avocado and some fresh cilantro. If you have a lime on hand serve a wedge alongside the soup to squeezed over just before digging in. 

 

 

I served mine with a cheese quesadilla on the side and it was a perfect end to a very cold winter day.

You can download a printable PDF version of the recipe here.

 

 

 

Black Bean Soup

1 jalapeno, chopped

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

¼ cup chopped sweet pepper

vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, minced (or grated)

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 Tablespoons tequila (optional)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups water

1 Tablespoon Better than Bouillon- Seasoned Vegetable

Saute the jalapeno, onion, carrots, and pepper in a small stock pot in the oil until the onions turn translucent. Season with a salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin and continue to cook until they become fragrant.

Optionally de-glaze the pan with the Tequila.

Add the black beans, water and the Better than Bouillon to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Taste and season if needed.

Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese, cubed avocado and cilantro. Add a wedge of lime to squeeze over the bowl just before you eat it.

Makes 3 bowls of wonderful soup.