Black Bean Soup
Posted by Vipul on Thursday, October 23, 2008
Ingredients :
2 medium-sized onions
2 large carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (jarred garlic is fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
8 oz. chicken broth (or substitute vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)
water
1 bouillon cube
3 cans black beans
3 bay leaves
1 dried whole chipotle chile (not canned!)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
salt
Method :
Put the olive oil & butter into a large soup pan over medium to medium-high heat. Peel & chop the onion; wash & chop (or peel and chop) the carrots. (Note: coarse chopping is fine). Add the onions & carrots to the by-now-hot olive oil & butter. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent & the carrot beginning to soften. Add the garlic & saute 2-3 minutes more.
Add the chicken stock, bouillon, and about 1/2 cup of water. Bring the soup to a simmer. Drain & add the black beans (no need to drain them perfectly, and do not rinse them - adding a little of their liquid to the soup is fine).
Add the bay leaves, dried whole chipotle chile, chile de arbol powder, chipotle chile powder, & vinegar. While the soup simmers, wash & finely chop about 3/4 cup of fresh cilantro. You'll use this as a garnish.
To finish the soup, just blend it. Before blending, remove the 3 bay leaves & the 1 dried chipotle chile (throw them out, you're done with them). If you have a hand-blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot. Be sure to keep the blender blades submerged in the soup so it does not splatter across your kitchen. If you don't have a hand-blender, pour the soup into a regular blender and blend it that way.
Taste the soup - does it need more liquid or salt? Add water and/or salt as-needed.
Serve in large bowls, garnished with the chopped cilantro.
2 medium-sized onions
2 large carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (jarred garlic is fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
8 oz. chicken broth (or substitute vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)
water
1 bouillon cube
3 cans black beans
3 bay leaves
1 dried whole chipotle chile (not canned!)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
salt
Method :
Put the olive oil & butter into a large soup pan over medium to medium-high heat. Peel & chop the onion; wash & chop (or peel and chop) the carrots. (Note: coarse chopping is fine). Add the onions & carrots to the by-now-hot olive oil & butter. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent & the carrot beginning to soften. Add the garlic & saute 2-3 minutes more.
Add the chicken stock, bouillon, and about 1/2 cup of water. Bring the soup to a simmer. Drain & add the black beans (no need to drain them perfectly, and do not rinse them - adding a little of their liquid to the soup is fine).
Add the bay leaves, dried whole chipotle chile, chile de arbol powder, chipotle chile powder, & vinegar. While the soup simmers, wash & finely chop about 3/4 cup of fresh cilantro. You'll use this as a garnish.
To finish the soup, just blend it. Before blending, remove the 3 bay leaves & the 1 dried chipotle chile (throw them out, you're done with them). If you have a hand-blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot. Be sure to keep the blender blades submerged in the soup so it does not splatter across your kitchen. If you don't have a hand-blender, pour the soup into a regular blender and blend it that way.
Taste the soup - does it need more liquid or salt? Add water and/or salt as-needed.
Serve in large bowls, garnished with the chopped cilantro.
