Black Bean Confetti Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Combine beans and peas; place 3 cups in each of four large resealable plastic bags or glass jars. Set aside. , In each of four snack-size resealable plastic bags, place three bouillon cubes, 3 tablespoons chives, 1 teaspoon savory, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and one bay leaf. Seal bags. Yield: 4 batches., To prepare soup: Place contents of one bag of beans in a Dutch oven; add 7 cups water. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. , Drain beans and discard liquid. Add remaining water and contents of one seasoning bag. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour., Add tomatoes, salt and, if desired, pepper sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

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:

• In a small bowl, mash 1 can black beans; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute the celery, onion, red pepper and jalapeno in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. , Stir in the broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, pepper, bay leaf, mashed black beans and remaining whole beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. , Discard bay leaf. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1-1/2 teaspoons green onion.

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.

Steps:

• In a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, onion, garlic, chipotle chile and sauce, cumin, bay leaves and/or oregano, and baking soda, if using. Add 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours. Taste more than one bean to ensure they're all cooked through; they should also flatten without much effort when pressed between your fingers.
• Remove and compost the bay leaves. Transfer the onion, garlic and chipotle chile to a blender or food processor, along with about 2 cups of the beans and broth. (You can purée more or less of the soup, depending on desired consistency.) Blend until smooth. Pour puréed soup back into the slow cooker, stir in the vinegar, then season to taste with salt. Eat with desired toppings.

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, place beans and enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Heat to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 1 hour. Drain beans; set aside.
• In 3- or 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook 3 cups onions and the bell pepper in oil 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add cumin, oregano and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add drained beans, broth and water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Partially cover; simmer 1 hour 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
• In blender, place half of bean mixture. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Return pureed soup to remaining soup in pan. Stir in lime juice, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Serve with cheese, finely chopped onion, sour cream and cilantro.

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers, carrots and celery (add jalapeño if spicy soup is desired). Cook stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin. Saute for another 3 minutes.
• 2. Stir in stock and beans, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stir occasionally. Remove two cups of soup and puree in a blender or food processor. Stir puree back into pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• 3. Serve in bowls topped with a spoon of yogurt/sour cream and sprinkle of cilantro. *Don't like yogurt/sour cream? Add cheese instead.