Bountiful Black Bean Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in 1 can black beans and chicken broth.
• In a blender, puree remaining can of beans until smooth. Mix into the pot. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Mix in ham, cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes. Garnish with Cheddar cheese and sour cream to serve.

Steps:

• To roast corn: It is convenient to use frozen corn. Preheat oven to 350. Spread frozen corn on a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool.
• Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
• Add onions and celery and saute until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute for one more minute.
• Carefully pour in stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits.
• Stir in the black bean soup mix and tomatoes.
• Add the butternut squash and roasted corn.
• Add herbs, stir, and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour to prevent sticking.
• Add more stock or water if beans and squash absorb too much liquid.
• Note: To reduce cooking time by 1/2 hour, beans may be soaked overnight, rinsed and then added to soup.

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; saute until onion is golden, about 8 mins. Add beans, reserved 1 cup of bean liquid, 3-1/2 cups of broth, tomatoes with juice, cumin and hot pepper sauce.
• Bring soup to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Working in 2 batches, puree 2-1/2 cups of soup in blender (I used my cuisinart food processor on pulse several times) until smooth. Mix puree back into soup pot.
• Brint to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, only if needed. (can be made 1 day ahead. cool slightly, refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth if needed, before serving.
• When ready to serve, top with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro (optional) We served this with warm jumbo flaky biscuits and butter!

Steps:

• Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
• Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
• Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.
• Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.
• Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.