pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Today I made a version of Cuban black bean soup, though with some non-traditional ingredients. And I used a combination of pressure cooking the beans initially, then slow cooked it with the remaining ingredients added. No ham hocks, but I had a chunk of leftover ham in the freezer (that I usually use in Jambalaya), so I diced that up for it. I started in the sauté mode in the Instant Pot, with chopped onions and frying peppers in olive oil. Then I added some garlic and tomato paste, cumin, and smoked paprika, and stirred it a couple of minutes, then added the water. I added a pound of black beans, salted it lightly, then set the IP for manual, 15 minutes, and shut the lid. After it cooked, and the pressure released naturally, I removed the lid (the beans were not quite done). Then I added the ham, 1/2 c black quinoa, 1/2 c red lentils, and some morita powder (to add some heat, plus a little more smoky taste). Then I simmered it on slow cook/high, for about 1 1/2 hours, adding some chopped mustard greens with 1/2 hr left. I mashed a bit of it to thicken it, and served it with a little crema.
Chopped mustard greens added to Cuban black beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished Cuban black bean soup, with a little crema added. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Chopped mustard greens added to Cuban black beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished Cuban black bean soup, with a little crema added. by pepperhead212, on Flickr