Black beans are an ancient staple of Latin American food and grow natively in the Americas. Also called turtle beans, caviar criollo, and frijoles negros, black beans have remained common ingredients in US cuisine, with a documented history of recipes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. These beans were typically prepared by being first boiled and then ground into a thick dark paste. More recently, black bean dishes have seen renewed interest, utilized as a staple of vegetarian cookery in the 1970s and becoming increasingly trendy in West-coast eateries beginning in the 1980s. Although beans of one kind or another are cooked all over the world, black beans have remained quintessentially American cuisine ingredients. With a rich velvety texture, black beans can provide plenty of protein and flavor for a meatless soup, although some cooks choose to add bite-sized pieces of chicken or pork to their preparations of black bean soup.
Recipe Servings: 8
+ 25 minutes resting
Ingredients
- 3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
- 3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium sweet red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) vegetable broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
Directions
- In a small bowl, mash one can of black beans, and set aside.
- Pour the oil into a large saucepan set over medium heat.
- Add the celery, onion, red pepper and jalapeño to the hot oil and saute until the vegetables begin to become tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, pepper, bay leaf, the bowl of mashed black beans, and the remaining cans of whole beans.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Removing the bay leaf, stir in the lime juice.
- Garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1½ teaspoons of chopped green onion.
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