Black Bean Soup

 

Day 103: “Get Cooking”

April 13, 2011

Black Bean Soup is so healthy for you, especially if you don’t put in the sour cream or the tortilla chips. I love soup of all kinds and I have made many different kinds but I do not think that I have ever made black bean soup that was this easy. Since returning from San Diego, I have been hungry for everything Mexican, this soup is no exception. Knowing how to make soup from scratch is a great thing to be able to do. You get to control the ingredients and most importantly, the sodium levels!

The author of “Get Cooking” is Mollie Katzen, who also authored “Moosewood Cookbook”. She lovingly tries to get you in the kitchen with recipes that you did not have to attend culinary school to complete. In case you are really a beginner, she shows you the basics of chopping. I see this cookbook as one that is given to children as they leave the home and are starting in the world of being a home cook….start them off on the right foot.

The Ruling: Well I liked it, but everyone else thought it was kind of bland. One of the tips is to finely chop a fresh jalapeno chile…that would show the family who is boss of the spicy soup. I will say that everyone ate it….well the youngest one just took a spoonful of it. Very easy to make and if you are a vegetarian or have a vegetarian in your family, this will be a hit for dinner.

Cuban Black Bean Soup, page 14

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• half a medium red bell pepper, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Three 15-ounce cans black beans (approximately 4 cups cooked beans)
• 3 cups water
•  1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• a big handful of cilantro leaves
• freshly ground black pepper
• red pepper flakes
• lime wedges, for garnish

Directions:

1. Place a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cumin, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.
2. Add the bell pepper, garlic, and salt, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.
3. Meanwhile, set a colander in the sink and pour in the means; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.
4. Add the beans and the water to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting, partially cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15  minutes.
5. Use a potato masher or the back of a slotted spoon to mash about half of the soup so it thickens. The soup will become somewhat chunky, not completely smooth. (You can also puree it, if you like, with a blender or immersion blender.) If at any point it seems to have gotten too thick, it’s okay to add a little extra water (about 1/4 cup at a time) until it’s a consistency you like.
6. Add a tablespoon of the lime juice, and then taste to see if you think it needs to second tablespoon. Use scissors to ship in the cilantro (it’s okay if the pieces are a bit rough). Add about 8 grinds of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and then simmer and stir for another minute or two to let the flavors blend. Serve hot, with the lime wedges alongside.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Black Bean Soup With Roasted Squash

Day 63: “New World Kitchen”

March 4, 2011

While winter continues to hold its icy claw grip on us and I just can’t break away from comfort foods.  At least I am trying to make healthy comfort foods.  When I found this recipe it had all the makings of a low-fat comfort food……except for the bacon.  Soup is a meal that I think I could every day.  I have a favorite spot that I like to go for lunch that makes some of the best homemade soups in my town.  When I made this soup, my oldest son said that we should make sure we give this recipe to them so that they can make it.

What “The New World Kitchen” offers a culinary tour through many Caribbean and Latin American countries.  A visit to Chile and you will find sea bass with creamy ragu of tomatoes, basil, potatoes and onions.  Stop off in Peru for potatoes in Creamy Cheese Sauce (papas a la huancaina).  The soup I made was from the Pan-Caribbean region.  The author is a famed chef from Florida named Norman Van Aken who owns the restaurant Normans in Miami. The cookbook features photos from an award-winning food photographer which is only fitting of the inspiring dishes.  Feeling a bit like traveling around to some warmer weather cooking, make a stop with this cookbook.

The Ruling:  The soup was great…..but I must admit I had to substitute a lot of things in order to avoid another trip to the store. For example I didn’t have a calabaza squash so I used an acorn squash I had. If I was to make this again, I would use a butternut squash as it is much easier to peel then the crevices of the acorn squash.  We inhaled the soup so fast that I didn’t even get to take a picture of it.  Of course the oldest child, husband and myself ate it.  Middle child was out with friends but I would bet that he would have tried it.  The crema on top was a nice fresh addition. Youngest child just turned his nose up at it after having a spoon full of it.

Black Bean Soup With Roasted Squash, page 62

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces smoky bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons toasted and ground cummin seeds
• 2 bay leaves, broken in half
• 1 cup Spanish dry sherry
• 2 cups black beans, rinsed, soaked overnight in water to cover, and drained
• 1 some ham hock
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Calabaza:

• 2 pounds calabaza, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces (you can substitute acorn or another winter squash)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted and ground coriander seeds

Directions:

1. To prepare the beans, cook the bacon in the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until beginning to crisp. Stir in the Scotch bonnet and garlic. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and stir to coat. Let the vegetables caramelize, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the cumin, bay leaves, and sherry, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beans, ham hock, and stock and bring to a simmer. SKim the impurities off the top, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the beans are tender but not mushy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. In the meantime, prepare the calabaza: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the calabaza, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper in a toasting pan or heavy ovenproof skillet and give them a toss. Rost for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is tender when poked with a knife. Set aside in a warm place.
4. For the crema: Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
5. Remove the bay leaves from the beans. Scoop 2 1/2 cups of the beans and their broth into a blender, and puree. Pour back into the pot – this will give the soup more body – stir well, and simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Fold in the calabaza and cook for 5 more minutes
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with a spoonful of crema in each.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.