Cuban Black Bean Ham Soup

Cuban black bean soup at its most authentic uses one ingredient that supermarket versions skip entirely: a splash of dark rum stirred in at the very end. It deepens the bean broth without making the soup taste boozy, and ties together the smoky ham, woody thyme, and oregano in a way water and salt alone never could.

The thickening trick is worth noting. Instead of cornstarch or flour, you ladle out about a cup of cooked beans, mash them, and stir them back in. The starch from the broken beans gives the broth body while keeping the rest of the beans whole. Served over white rice with a spoon of cool sour cream on top, it eats like a meal rather than a starter.

Chef Tips

• Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and rinse. Discarding the soak water reduces the gas-producing compounds.
• Saute the onion in butter until just translucent, not browned. Browning shifts the soup toward a darker, sweeter base than Cuban tradition calls for.
• Add the green bell pepper near the end so it keeps a slight crunch instead of dissolving into the broth.
• Fish out the bay leaves and any whole dried chile before serving. Both have done their job and are unpleasant to bite into.
• Pull the ham chunks out, dice them, then return only the lean meat to the pot. Cleaner texture, no fatty bites.

Variations

• Crush in a few cloves of garlic with the onion for more depth.
• Stir in a tablespoon of red wine vinegar at the end alongside the rum for the classic Cuban acid finish.
• Use a smoked ham hock instead of cooked ham for a richer, smokier broth.