Black Bean Soup - Hell Yeah It's Vegan!
Despite the occasional 50-degree day, Connecticut’s gotten a lot of snow this winter. After a cold day at work and a two-mile trudge home through the snow and ice, there’s nothing that makes me happier than coming home to a hot bowl of soup. Black bean soup is healthy, hearty fare that’s sure to warm you up from the inside out.This recipe is extremely simple, but it does take time. Simmering dried black beans right in the stock is key to this soup’s full-bodied flavor. I’ve tried all kinds of shortcuts, but black bean soup thrown together in half an hour with canned beans just doesn’t hold a candle to this slow-cooked beauty. Give it a try some chilly weekend when you don’t mind cozying up to your stove for a couple of hours. It’s worth it!
This soup is creamy and mild enough for folks with less adventurous palates, but you can easily adjust it to fit your tastes. I like topping my bowl with a healthy dose of smoky chipotle hot sauce. You can also go Tex-Mex: just add a cup and a half of cooked corn kernels during the last 20 minutes of simmering and garnish with salsa, sour cream, and cilantro. And don’t forget the cornbread!
In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, saute celery, onion and carrot in butter or oil until onion is translucent.
Stir in garlic, cumin and thyme and saute another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Add stock, water, and black beans.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 2.5 hours, or until beans are tender.
Using an immersion blender, puree about half the soup.
Season with liquid smoke, salt, and pepper.
Do you have to soak the beans over night?
Nope! You start with plain old dried beans.
This looks great! Working with dried black beans can be a mixed experience for me, I had some remain crunchy after pressure cooking them.
This sounds similar to something I cook frequently. I sometimes jazz mine up with the addition of Applewood Smoked Salt from our neighborhood food co-op. The salt smells like the inside of granny’s kitchen and lends a smoky taste to anything it touches. Yum!
That sounds awesome, Beth! I’m a lover of all things smoky.
I made this soup last weekend using some heirloom beans, Moro beans from Rancho Gordo. They are a kind of a black/brown bean. Turned out really wonderful.
Delicious. I used three cans of organic,low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained. Worked well. This recipe is a keeper.