This is a warm, filling, absolutely amazing soup with a light smoky aroma and tons of flavor, without being overly spicy. The soup will taste a little too peppery when tasted alone, but when garnished with the sour cream and cheese, is perfect.
If you don’t have smoked Paprika, you can substitute regular Paprika and a 1/4t liquid smoke.
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1.5 | Lbs | Dried Black Beans |
| 2 | T | Vegetable Oil |
| 3/4 | C | Onion, minced |
| 3/4 | C | Celery, finely chopped |
| 1/2 | C | Carrot, finely chopped |
| 1/4 | C | Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped |
| 2 | T | Garlic, minced |
| 1/2 | t | Salt |
| 2 | T | Apple Cider Vinegar |
| 1 3/4 | T | Smoked Paprika |
| 1 3/4 | t | Oregano |
| 1 3/4 | t | Cayenne Pepper |
| 1 | t | Cumin |
| 1 | t | Garlic Powder |
| 4 | C | Low Sodium Chicken Stock |
| 8 | Ounces | Shredded Monterey Jack/Cheddar Cheese Blend |
| Sour Cream | ||
| 1/4 | C | Finely Sliced Scallions |
| Tortilla Chips | ||
- Examine beans and remove anything that isn’t a bean, then rinse.
- Add to large pot of hot water and bring to a boil
- Boil covered 2 minutes
- Let sit covered for one hour, drain, rinse place in a bowl and set aside. Dry pot.
- Add the oil to pot and heat on medium. Add all the veggies except the garlic to the pot, add the salt and sweat until almost soft. Add the garlic and continue until soft and transparent, but not browned. You may need to reduce the heat to med-low.
- Add 3/4 of the beans to the pot, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for an hour.
- Use an immersion blender or process in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, then return to pot.
- Add remaining beans, and add water until it has a soup-like consistency. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Cook until the beans are soft (approximately another two to three hours), adding water if necessary.
- Serving: Place in a bowl and garnish with shredded monterey jack/cheddar cheese, a tsp of sour cream, some finely chopped scallions (green onions) and serve with tortilla chips.
- Note that if you want to, you can simmer overnight in the oven at about 275° instead of on the stove top.
Note: This will thicken as it cools, as well as overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t be afraid to thin it out with some water if it gets too thick.
If you make it a little thicker put it in a large flat dish, cover with shredded cheese, sour cream, and scallions, it makes an awesome dip for tortilla chips.