Miami Black Bean Soup Recipe 415

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes or jalapeño pepper, bay leaf and black beans and stir well to combine with the vegetables. Stir in the broth and water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the saucepan and simmer until the soup is thick, about 30 minutes. Transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender, and puree until the soup is smooth and turns a mauve-gray color. Return the soup to the saucepan and reheat before serving. Ladle into preheated bowls. If desired, top each with a tablespoon of nonfat sour cream.

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:

• Cook the celery, carrots and onions in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the black beans, bouillon, bay leaf and tomatoes, and enough water to cover by an inch or two (about 3 cups). Simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours, adding water if needed. Season and serve.

Steps:

• Drain some of the liquid from 2 cans black beans.
• Put 2 cans black beans, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, 1 cup chicken broth, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into a blender and blend until smooth; pour into a saucepan and add remaining chicken broth and 1 can black beans. Place saucepan over medium heat, bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Put 1/2 cup hot rice into each of 6 bowls. Ladle soup over rice and top with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mash 1 can black beans until smooth; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients and remaining can of beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Add mashed beans, stirring to combine. Discard bay leaf before serving.