Black Bean Soup

Recipe: Black Bean Soup
Page: 62
Date Cooked: March 26, 2011

Black bean soup is one of those incredibly rich and hearty soups. To be honest, I don't eat it often and rarely make it. So I was kind of excited to see what Jonathan Waxman had in store. Though this recipe calls for ham hock, Jonathan Waxman makes note that it can be removed to make this a vegetarian recipe, while not compromising the flavor.

Ingredients: Dried black beans, red onion, jalapeno chile, garlic, olive oil, ham hock, bay leaves, spicy store-bought salsa, cilantro, pepper, salt, lime, sour cream, and chives

Of course since the recipe called for dried black beans, the first step was to soak them overnight. The next day it was on to mincing the onions and jalapeno chile; also separating the garlic head into whole peeled cloves.

From Left to Right
1.Beans soaking 2.Minced onions 3.Cloves of garlic

Olive oil was heated in a saucepan. The onions, garlic, and ham hock were added to the pan until the ham hock was browned and onions light gold.

Onions, garlic, and ham hock being cooked

Next, the beans, bay leaves, jalapeno, salsa, cilantro stems, and black pepper were all added to the pot. Finally after adding some water, the soup was placed to simmer for almost 2 hours.

Black bean about ready to simmer

After the said time, the soup was removed from the heat and the bay leaves and ham hock were fished out. The meat was removed from the bone and diced. The soup was seasoned with additional salt and pepper and the ham meat was added back.

Diced ham meat

The soup was reheated and ladled into bowls and topped with sour cream. Mined onions, chives, and cilantro were sprinkled on top. Finally, the soup was finished off with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Black Bean Soup

I think when you have a number of complimentary flavors and ingredients and you have the opportunity to cook them all together for a long period of time - it's just hard to go wrong. I really enjoyed the soup. It was definitely rich and without a doubt hearty - especially with the pieces of ham mixed in. Of course the garnishes (sour cream, onion, cilantro, and chives) added the freshness and lightness to the soup, which was well needed. Also, it is a hassle free soup. The most time consuming portion is the time it takes to soak the beans. Looks like another soup recipe success.

Enjoy!