This Black Bean Soup with Cumin is a combination of two of my favorite recipes. You can add additional jalapeño peppers if you would like a spicier soup. I cooked the cumin in a skillet before I added it to the beans to release the flavor. I do that a lot whenever I use dried spices.
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: Overnight to soak the beans, plus prep next day
Cook Time: 1 hour to cook beans with onion half, plus 1 hour to finish
2 cups (1 pound) dried black beans, washed and picked over, then soaked overnight
9 cups of water
2 bay leaves
1 large Spanish onion, divided use, ½ split in half and ½ diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to season
4 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 large jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons, ground cumin, cooked in a skillet to release its flavor
1 teaspoon oregano
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Garnishes: olives, fresh cilantro, sour cream with lime zest and lime juice, grated cheese and avocado slices.
- In a large pot, soak the beans overnight with the water and the bay leaves. (It is an optional step, but it helps the beans cook faster.)
- The next day, add the halved onion to the pot with the beans. Bring the beans to a boil, lower the temperature to a simmer, and cook the beans, partially covered, skimming off and discarding any of the foam, until the beans are tender about 1 hour.
- While the beans are cooking, in a skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño peppers and cook for about 2 more minutes, then add the cumin, oregano and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Add the chicken or vegetable stock to the beans. Add the onion mixture to the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender in batches or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth. (I used an immersion blender in the pot). Return the soup to the pot and add the red wine vinegar and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish each serving.
Storage: This soup is good the same day it is made, but I think it is even better the second day, when it thickens up. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out with water or stock. It also freezes well.
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