Monday, January 14, 2013

Black Bean Soup

Not sure what inspired this request but David says “let’s make some black bean soup.”  Oh yes, “let’s”.  In our house, "let's" is a code word which is intended to be replaced with "you."  For example, "let's clean out the toy closet" or "let's plant flowers."  And then when the "let's" task does not get accomplished, who is to blame?

As we were finishing, David suggested “next time let's cook our own beans rather than using canned.”  He may be on his own there.  We found this recipe, made a few of the recommended adjustments and it is pretty good.  The boys even liked it (Elizabeth doesn’t get to vote if she doesn’t try a bite.  I love her though.). 

Ingredients
Black Bean Soup
1.      6-8 slices bacon, finely chopped 
2.      2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3.      6 garlic cloves, pressed
4.      2-3 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
5.      1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes (or try Rotel)
6.      2 tablespoons ketchup
7.      2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8.      1 tablespoon chili powder
9.      5-6 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
10.  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
11.  Cilantro, to taste
12.  Juice of 1/2 lime
13.  For garnish and optional, grated cheddar, thinly sliced scallions and sour cream

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Drain all but about 2 T of bacon grease.  Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While simmering the soup, remove the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup after it has simmered 10 minutes. Continue cooking until the soup is thickened, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Serves 8-10.  When we made it, we halved the recipe.  The quantity variation for the chicken broth and cans of beans is based on your preference of hearty vs. soupy.

5 comments:

Stacey said...

I am not sure what I love more - your recipes or your funny intros/commentary. I love reading your blog and trying new recipes too. I am trying this one soon!

The Baker's Mann said...

Hello Stacey - I've been craving your baked potato soup lately! Hope you like this soup! I think many of us have a "let's" scenario in our homes. I heard from another friend today about it too. Happy new year to you and your family!!

Anonymous said...

When a recipe contains bacon, is it necessary to use Kosher salt??

The Baker's Mann said...

granted, it seems a little counter intuitive! Because I was curious, I did some internet research. Kosher salt is unrefined, more coarse, does not contain additives (iodine) and has a milder flavor. Regular/table/iodized salt has been fortified with the mineral iodine. But you probably already knew that!

Stacey said...

haha, so true. In our house with to do's I am the one constantly saying "Let's" when I really mean "Dan". :)

The potato soup is so much better with baking the potatoes (like you suggested) than boiling them. So thanks for improving one of my favorites! Also this black bean soup is on menu for next Monday night - can't wait. Lastly I made my dad your coffee cake (or your mom's coffee cake to be more accurate) for Christmas. He love it...as did everyone else who ate it.

Happy New Year to you and your family as well.