Black Bean Soup #1

This is old-school, slow-Sunday, fill-the-whole-house-with-the-smell kind of cooking.

Two pounds of dried black beans simmer for hours alongside bacon, diced ham, a mountain of onions (eight of them!), seven cloves of garlic, celery, and brown rice in a bath of chicken broth. Cumin and cayenne bring warmth.

Once everything is tender and falling apart, the whole pot gets blended smooth. Back on the stove it goes, where white wine and a generous cup of sherry get stirred in during a slow 45-minute reheat.

The result is thick, silky, and deeply savory with a boozy warmth that lingers.

Pro Tips

• Soak the beans overnight. No shortcuts here. A good soak means even cooking and a smoother final texture.
• Blend in small batches. Hot soup in a blender can be dangerous. Fill it only a third of the way, hold the lid down with a towel, and pulse first.
• The sherry is not optional. It adds a nutty, caramelized sweetness that ties the whole bowl together. Use a decent dry sherry, not cooking sherry.
• This freezes beautifully before the wine and sherry go in. Thaw, reheat, then add the alcohol fresh.