David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

1/19/05

Black Bean Soup

(serves two parents and two children)

Because of all the simmering and the blending of the beans at the end, this soup can end up rather thick. It dilutes easily, however, with a little chicken stock or even water.

1 lb black beans
6 c cold water
3 Tbs canola oil
4 oz bacon (or pancetta), finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 c chicken stock
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbs dry sherry
1 Tbs sherry vinegar (or a good red wine vinegar)
1 tsp Tabasco (or another hot sauce)

1. Pick over the beans to remove any stones or dirt, then rinse well. Place in a stock pot and add the cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for two minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for an hour. Once they have cooled, remove the beans and their water to a large bowl.

2. Return the stock pot to the stove over a medium-low flame. Add the canola oil, and saute the bacon until the fat is completely rendered, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic, and sweat for another 15 minutes.

3. Add the reserved beans and bean water (there should be about 4 cups), along with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the heat. If you prefer a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to puree some of the beans, producing the consistency you like.

4. Once the soup has cooled a little, finish it off with the salt, pepper, sherry, sherry vinegar, and Tabasco. The amounts listed above are only suggestions. Alter them to suit your personal taste.

5. Serve with garnishes, such as chopped onion or scallions, cilantro, sour cream, and hard-boiled egg.

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Tips

* The first step in this recipe replaces an overnight soak. However, if you prefer to soak your beans, make sure that the water in which they soak is two inches above the level of the beans. Then, when it comes time to add the beans to the vegetables, use the drained beans plus 8 cups of chicken stock.

* By "fine dice," I mean approximately quarter-inch cubes, but don't go crazy.

* You can replace some of the chicken stock with beer or red wine to give the soup a richer flavor.

* If you don't have an immersion blender, you can simply scoop out some of the soup and puree it in a blender or food processor.

Listener Feedback
* Polly Law adds a bit of dried chipotle pepper to her vegetarian black bean soup "to give it a smoky tang and some heat." (A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno pepper.) Polly softens the chipotle in some boiling water and then adds it, along with the soaking liquid, to the soup. "I serve the soup over brown rice with some sharp cheese to make it an even more substantial meal," she adds. "And don't forget the cornbread!"

* Ezra Eichelberger's secret black bean soup ingredient is a couple of tablespoons of shaved dark chocolate, which he also adds to chili recipes.

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If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).