Description
These black beans cook over a long period of time and yield a rich, savory, delicious soup.
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 1 medium white onion (finely chopped)
- 1 large poblano pepper (finely chopped)
- 1 small jalapeño (seeded, diced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 32 fl. oz low sodium vegetable broth or filtered water
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- The night before cooking the soup, place beans in a colander and wash them with cold running water. Pick out any rocks or beans that are broken or shriveled. Put the beans in a large pot with a lid and cover with enough cold water so that it comes to one inch over the top of the beans. Soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the water out of the pot and rinse the beans in a colander. In the pot, over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Stir in the chopped onion, peppers, and garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. About 5 minutes. Add black beans, ground cumin, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous quantity of black pepper, and stir. Add the vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any white foam, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are very soft and the soup is creamy, not watery. Check after 2 hours. If the beans seem dry or stewy, add another cup of water. The final consistency should be velvety and thick, and the soup should coat the back of a spoon. (The beans will soften in the first two hours. The goal is to continue cooking the soup until some of the beans break down and create the smooth, thick soup base.)
- When the soup is nearly finished, stir in the vinegar and cilantro, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove bay leaves before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm with diced scallions and fresh cilantro.