Black Bean Soup Chipotlesmoke
Submitted by sabrosa
Smoky chipotle black bean soup built from dried beans, cumin, oregano, and a bruised-cilantro bouquet. Finished with sherry, lime, and part-pureed for creamy-chunky texture.
YIELD
9 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is the kind of black bean soup that makes the case for starting from dried beans. Canned beans can’t give you the silky, mineral-rich broth that an overnight soak and a 90-minute simmer produce. The flavor is deeper, the texture creamier, and the cost per bowl is almost nothing.
The spice build is North Mexican and Southwestern at heart: cumin, oregano, dried chili (chipotle recommended for the smoky backbone this recipe name promises), and a sachet of bruised cilantro sprigs that simmers in and gets discarded. Bruising the stems first releases their oils into the broth.
The part-puree trick is key. Pulling out 2 cups of cooked beans plus some garlic, blitzing them, and stirring the puree back into the pot thickens everything without needing a roux or cornstarch. You get creamy body and whole beans in the same spoonful.
Diced red pepper, brown sugar, dry sherry, and lime juice go in for a final 30-minute finish. Serve ladled over rice with a drizzle of extra sherry, sour cream, and a lime wedge.
Chef Tips
- Soak the beans overnight. A quick-soak method works in a pinch, but the texture suffers.
- Skim foam aggressively in the first 30 minutes. Unskimmed foam makes the finished broth taste bitter.
- Don’t salt until after the beans are tender. Salt early toughens bean skins.
- Toast the cumin and oregano briefly in the oil before adding beans for extra depth.
Variations
- Add a canned chipotle in adobo plus a spoon of the sauce for serious smoky heat.
- Stir in diced ham or a smoked ham hock for a meaty version.
- Top with queso fresco, avocado, and pickled red onion instead of sour cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Sort beans, discard stones.
Soak overnight, covered with 2 inches of water.
Drain the beans and rinse several times in cold water.
Set aside.
Place oil in large, heavy pot over medium heat, add onion, cook 15 minutes, or until wilted, adding the garlic during the last 5 minutes.
Add reserved beans, water, bay leaves, dried chili, cumin and oregano.
Gently bruise the cilantro sprigs. Tie them together and add to the pot along with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered for 1½ hours, reducing the heat if necessary.
Skim any foam that rises to the surface.
Discard the cilantro and bay leaves.
Remove 2 cups of the soup along with any garlic pieces and puree.
Stir the purée back into the soup.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add bell pepper, sugar, sherry, lime juice and 2 tables of parsley and the chopped cilantro.
Cook for 30 minutes. Serve in bowls over rice, with lime, a drizzle of sherry, some sour cream.
Comments
