Black Bean Soup~ Better than the Can

[her_name_is_ed]

A few years back I lost almost 30 pounds with dieting and excersice. One of my favorite low calorie meals back then was a can of black bean soup from a certain soup company that will remain nameless

Anyway, the consistancey of the canned soup and the amount of salt never really appealed to me so I set out to make some myself. Here's the recipe, it came out delicious!!

2 carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper chopped (for mild, remove seeds and white ribbing)
small can of chopped tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can low fat, low sodium chicken stock
1 small can tomato sauce+ 1 can full of water
2 tbs cumin
1tbs (or less) cayenne
1tbs each granulated garlic + onion powder
1tbs smoked paprika

In a large pot with a small amount of vegetable oil or butter, sautee carrots, celery, jalapeno and onion over medium heat till tender. Add chicken broth and scrape up veggie bits from bottom of pan (deglaze) add the remaining ingredients (tomatoes-smoked paprika) and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook over heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Here's my favorite variation for you to try using dry black beans instead of canned, & adding in some smoked turkey. This freezes & reheats really well, so is great to have on hand for an impromptu meal if you freeze it in serving-size portions.


BREEZY BLACK BEAN SOUP

1-pound dry black beans
Several dollops of extra-virgin olive oil
2 quarts chicken stock – homemade or purchased (I like Swanson’s & Progresso brands)
1 smoked turkey drumstick or thigh, or 2 smoked turkey wings
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled & roughly chopped
1 large celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, scrubbed & roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
Approx. ½ to ¾ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
Approx. ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Approx. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Approx. ½-3/4 cup dry sherry
Hot sauce, additional dry sherry, sour cream, plain yogurt, chopped raw onion &/or scallion for table additions/garnish (optional)

Rinse & pick through beans to remove any possible debris, place in pot with water to cover by several inches, cover & leave to soak overnight. OR – use the “quick soak” method printed on the package. Drain beans, rinse, drain again & set aside.

In an 8-quart or larger pot, film the bottom with several dollops of extra-virgin olive oil & sauté onion, celery, & carrot until just starting to soften but not brown. Add garlic & sauté a minute or so more.

Add chicken stock, parsley, cayenne pepper, cumin, bay leaves, & beans. Stir gently. Add smoked turkey & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium-low simmer, cover, & cook for 2 hours or until beans are tender, gently stirring occasionally.

With a slotted spoon search for & remove bay leaves, turkey bones & skin & discard, leaving meat in soup. Then, with a pototo masher, gently mash some of the soup to slightly thicken it. Serve with table additions/garnishes on the side if desired. (Leftovers freeze well.)

 

[Andy M.]

Hey, I have one too!

BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 Lb Dry Black Beans
1/2 Oz Chipotle Peppers
2 Tb Olive Oil
1/4 Lb Pancetta
1 Carrot
1 Celery Stalk
1 Onion
4 Garlic Cloves
8 C Chicken Stock
2 Tb Tomato Paste
1 or 2 Smoked Pork Hocks or
1 Ham Bone from baked ham
Black Pepper
8 Oz Anduille Sausage
1 tsp Cumin
Sour Cream
Scallion

Wash and clean the beans and prepare for cooking according to package directions.

Soak the chipotle peppers in hot water for 30 minutes then cut open and remove the pith and seeds. Dice.

Dice the pancetta, carrots, celery, onions and garlic.

In a 7 1/2-8 Qt. sauce pan, sauté the pancetta in the oil until the fat is rendered and the lean is golden. Add the diced vegetables and sauté slowly.

Add the stock, paste, hocks, black pepper, beans, chipotle peppers and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When a bean can be easily smashed between two fingers, cooking is done. Remove the hocks. Puree part of the cooked mixture in a blender to thicken the soup.

Add the sausage and cook until heated through.

Serve with a garnish of sour cream and chopped scallions.

Serves 6

Note: The Pancetta can be omitted, using only oil in its place. If necessary, you may substitute a small can of green chili peppers in place of the Chipotle. Use any smoked sausage in place of the Andouille.

 

[Chopstix]

One of my favorite soups now is Julia Child's Black Bean Gazpacho Soup. Essentially a chilled pureed black bean soup served with various colorful garnishes such as: cubed cucumber, crumbled boiled egg, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, and lemon.

 

[BreezyCooking]

There's also a variation of that (I don't remember if it's Julia's or not) where you make a pureed Black Bean Soup & a pureed White Bean Soup & carefully pour them into bowls in such a way as to resemble the Yin-Yang symbols. Very pretty.

 

[bethzaring]

I have a ridiculous amount of dried beans in stock....but nary a black bean. I've got pinto, great northern, kidney, navy, cannellini, garbanzo and black eyed peas. Would any of these dried beans work as well as black beans in these recipes?

 

[Andy M.]

Well, any bean could be used but black beans have a distinctive flavor. It would still be a tasty soup with a different bean.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I have a ridiculous amount of dried beans in stock....but nary a black bean. I've got pinto, great northern, kidney, navy, cannellini, garbanzo and black eyed peas. Would any of these dried beans work as well as black beans in these recipes?

If I had to choose from what you have on hand, I'd try Pinto, Great Northern, Navy, & maybe Cannellini (which is pretty much a white "kidney" bean, but with a thinner skin). I find red Kidney beans have too thick skins for a soup made with them as the sole ingredient. That same feature, however, makes them terrific additions to other soups, since they hold their shape & texture well. I also find Garbanzo beans a bit too grainy for sole-ingredient soups as well, but, like Kidneys - great additions to other soups. Black-Eyes? Ehhh.

 

[bethzaring]

thanks for the responses..

Breezy, just curious why you ehhh the black eyed peas...texture, flavor? If no one had any suggestions, that would have been my first choice

 

[Alix]

Since we're compiling recipes, Here is my version.

Now I'm thinking I'm going to add some smoky flavoring into mine. I like the smoked turkey and paprika ideas.

Beth, I think you could use any bean. The color is all that will be really affected, the flavors will be a bit different but still YUMMY. If you have a ham bone why don't you use that and then add some of the spices etc?

 

[BreezyCooking]

thanks for the responses..

Breezy, just curious why you ehhh the black eyed peas...texture, flavor? If no one had any suggestions, that would have been my first choice

If you really love Black Eyed Peas, by all means try it. While I like them on their own as "Hopping John", etc., somehow I just can't picture their very individual flavor in a starring role as soup. But that's just personal preference.