Smoky Black Bean Soup

by

Smoky Black Bean Soup

You’ve never had black bean soup like this Smoky Black Bean Soup. This Smoky Black Bean Soup recipe uses coffee which provides a toasty or woodsy background note that can be subtly altered depending of the blend of coffee you use. One of the great things about bean soup recipes is they can be easily adjusted to add heat or tone-down heat depending on personal preference. Make a large pot of this Smoky Black Bean Soup on a day off for easy warm-up lunches later in the week. Enjoy your coffee fused Smoky Black Bean Soup recipe, provided for you below.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried black beans (2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped, 1/3 cup reserved for garnish
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 large stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups brewed coffee
  • 1 ham hock (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
  • 6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for garnish
  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation

  1. Pick over beans; rinse well. Place in a large bowl with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. (Or use the quick-soak method: Cover the beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil; simmer 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.) Drain.
  2. Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all but 1/3 cup of the onions, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the beans, water, coffee, ham hock (if using) and bay leaf; cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Skim off any foam that rises to the top, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the beans are very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. If using, remove the ham hock and set it aside to cool; remove the bay leaf. Stir in salt.
  3. Puree about half of the soup in a blender or food processor until fairly smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the pureed soup to the pot and heat through. If desired, cut meat off the ham hock, trim away any fat and chop the meat into small pieces; stir back into the soup.
  4. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved chopped onion, a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) and cilantro, if desired.

SRC: Find Smoky Black Bean Soup Tips & Notes, Nutrition and Reviews at: www.eatingwell.com/recipes/smoky_black_bean_soup.html