Spicy Black Bean Soup
Click for larger view
You will find many Black Bean recipes on this web site. We find them to be very flavorful and lend themselves to our favorite flavors…garlic, chiles and many herbs. If you have read about the “blue zones” you will find that all of those cultures consume some type of legume almost daily. So if you want to live a long and healthy life, eat your beans!
MAKES: 10 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 2 Hours (plus overnight soaking)
INGREDIENTS
1 or 2 chipotle chiles in adobo (more or less to taste, diced very fine)
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
1 pound dry black beans
2 quarts Magic Mineral Broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, cubed
2 tablespoons red onion, diced fine
2 tablespoons English cucumber, diced small
4 radishes, diced small
Lime juice(to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop add chipotles in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
Add beans, Magic Mineral Broth, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
Meanwhile, make the garnish if serving the soup when done (the garnish will not hold well if made in advance. You can place the avocado pit in the garnish to keep from turning brown). Mix all the ingredients together and add lime, salt and pepper to taste.
Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin or you like a pureed soup, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper.
Serve in deep bowls, garnish as desired.
