Black bean soup

When our friends Brian and Rebecca mention a good recipe, my ears perk up, because I know they have impeccable taste. On the Saturday when Columbus was blanketed with its record-setting snowfall, we ate dinner at their house and they mentioned their great black bean soup recipe. I was intrigued, because it had come from a chef in New Mexico who had a flair for combining the tastes of traditional French cooking with the flavors of the American Southwest.

Days later, I was still thinking about the soup recipe and I asked Rebecca to send it to me. Last night, I gave it a try. I was initially skeptical of the instruction to puree the soup, but it gave it a nice velvety texture. I also loved the accoutrements that eventually are sprinkled on top: goat cheese crumbles and a squeeze of lime juice. The tart, tang and creaminess all worked so well together.

I didn’t take a photo because black bean soup always has that pallid looking shade of gray — I didn’t want you to judge this one based on its appearance. I hope you’re able to give it a try before soup season slips away.

Black Bean Soup

1 lb. dry black beans
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, whole
1 bay leaf
1 qt. chicken stock
1 qt. water
1 sirano or poblano chili
1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
6 oz. goat cheese
1 lime

Soak beans overnight. Drain. Saute garlic and onion. Put beans in with onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, chicken stock, water, chili, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer on med-low heat for 45 min. Increase heat and boil off as much liquid as desired to make soup desired thickness. Remove carrot and bay leaf. Puree the rest. Return to pot, add cream, salt & pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.