I have a yummy, new recipe for you! I made this last night and surprised myself at how good it was! Normally you think bland and kinda uneventful when you think about bean soup, right? But this? This was sorta zingy and zesty and comforting. It was so good, that my husband had seconds. SECONDS! He never does that with soup! In fact, he doesn't even finish the first serving because he doesn't like soup. (He says it isn't a meal, whatever!) I think you're really going to like it.
Happy cooking!
-Kristi
Heart Black Bean Soup
(Makes 4 two cup servings)
1 lb bag of black beans, sorted, soaked and rinsed (see package for directions)
4 cups chicken broth (use veggie broth for a vegetarian version)
1 cup water
8 slices of bacon (optional)
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil (if not using bacon)
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper
Garnish:
Sour cream
Diced avocado
Lime wedges
Crumbled bacon (optional for vegetarian)
Chopped cilantro
Directions:
If you are using the bacon, cook it until crisp. Set on a paper towel to drain and cool, then chop. Do not discard the grease!
Place soaked beans in a stock pot, add chicken (or veggie) stock and water; cover with a lid and allow to simmer over low heat for about one hour, stirring occasionally.
Heat oil/bacon grease in a frying pan over medi high heat, add onions, poblano peppers and garlic; season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft and translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
Once the vegetables are soft, stir in cumin and chili powder. Add this mixture to the beans. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking the beans, uncovered, for another hour or so. The beans will become thick, so keep a close eye on them! Add more water or stock of you want them to be more soupy/less chunky; adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve with crumbled bacon, a sprinkling of cilantro, some avocado, a dollop of sour cream and a lime wedge.
Heavenly!
