Depending on the day, I find myself either wanting to invest all of my energy into being as festively creative as possible or wanting to escape the holiday busyness to instead seek quietness and simplicity. I struggle with finding balance. I’ve been baking up lots of Christmas goodness in the kitchen this past week, but I need a little break so today I’m going to tell you about this Black Bean soup. It has nothing to do with holidays or Christmas, but it is still a very wonderful recipe. My kids told me to write a post about this soup because they adore it so much. It starts off with a simple yet flavorful black bean soup, and then it can be dressed up and customized with a variety of toppings. The beans are first cooked and seasoned with a small portion of ham and then they are partially blended together to form a creamy, hearty, and satisfying soup. Perfect for gatherings since the soup can be made ahead of time and then everyone can add toppings to their own liking. Add a green salad, some salsa and chips, and dinner is complete!
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 4 ounces nitrate-free ham steak
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cups water
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, choppped (about 3 cups)
- 1 large carrot, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1½ tablespoons cumin
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- lime wedges
- diced jalapeño
- chopped cilantro
- minced red onion
- avocado
- sour cream
- grated Monterey Jack Cheese
- In a large pot, add the beans, ham, bay leaves, water, and baking soda. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, stir in salt, and simmer for 1½ hours. Do not drain. Discard bay leaves. Remove ham and dice into ¼-inch cubes. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, carrots, celery, and salt until lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Lower the heat and add the garlic, red pepper, and cumin and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Stir in the beans, cooking liquid, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer 1½ cups beans and 2 cups liquid into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir mixture back into the soup. Alternatively, an immersion blender can be used to achieve desired consistency.
- Mix cornstarch and water and gradually stir into the soup. Bring back to a boil to thicken. Turn off heat. Stir in lime juice and reserved ham. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with garnishes.