Grandma's Master Black Bean Soup
Submitted by carly1027
A from-scratch black bean soup: dried beans simmered with smoky ham hocks, then a cumin-scented sofrito of peppers and onions, tomatoes, and a bright splash of red wine vinegar. Deep, hearty, and soulful.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is the kind of black bean soup that takes its time and rewards you for it. Dried beans simmer for hours with smoky bacon or ham hocks, which seasons the beans from the inside and gives the broth a deep, porky backbone you simply cannot get from a can.
Then comes the sofrito, the flavor base of so much Latin bean cookery. Sweet peppers, onions, and garlic soften in olive oil with cumin, then tomatoes and a generous splash of red wine vinegar simmer down. Stirred into the beans and their cooking liquid, it brings brightness and acidity to balance all that richness.
The chopped smoky meat goes back in along with fresh coriander, and a finish of sieved hard-cooked egg over each bowl is the old-fashioned grace note. It is hearty, soulful, and built for a crowd.
Kitchen Tips
- Save the bean cooking liquid; it carries the smoky flavor and gives the soup its body, so never pour it off.
- Simmer the beans low and slow until completely tender; rushed beans stay firm and the broth stays thin.
- Add the red wine vinegar near the end, where its brightness cuts the richness without cooking off.
- For a thicker soup, mash or puree a cup or two of the beans and stir them back in.
Variations
- Use a smoked turkey leg, or leave the meat out for a vegetarian pot.
- Garnish with sour cream, diced onion, lime, or a scoop of rice for a Cuban-style bowl.
- Add a pinch of oregano or a bay leaf to the beans as they cook.
Ingredients
Directions
Place beans, bacon or ham hocks, water and celery salt in heavy kettle.
Bring to boil; cover and simmer about 2½ hours or until beans are thoroughly tender.
Remove bacon or ham hocks; set aside.
Drain beans and reserve along with meat and cooking liquid.
There should be about 6 cups of beans and 4 cups of liquid.
Add enough broth to make 6 cups liquid.
Combine the beans with liquid in large bowl.
Heat oil in heavy kettle; add peppers, onions, garlic and cumin.
Cook, stirring, until onions are wilted.
Add tomatoes and vinegar. Let simmer about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from bacon, or skin and bones from ham hocks.
Chop ham; set aside.
Add beam mixture to cooked tomato mixture.
Add chopped meat and coriander.
Simmer until thoroughly heated. Serve in soup bowls; garnish with sieved hard cooked egg, if desired.
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