Monday, January 25, 2010

Mexican Black Bean and Vegetable Soup - Blue Monday



Food for the body and soul.


Photo by Nicola Stocken Tomkins from Country Home and Interiors February 2009

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... There are few foods that come from the kitchen that are more comforting than soup. This Mexican black bean soup is high in fiber and low in fat. It can be enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike. The soup is delicious and it can be assembled quickly. I've scaled the recipe for small families but it can be doubled if you have a gang to feed or want to freeze leftovers. A puree thickens the soup and keeps the use of fats to an absolute minimum. My only caution regards the use of chipotles in the soup. Be judicious if you are unsure of your heat tolerance. The heat will sneak up on you. I've given a range of measurement and you can select the one you are most comfortable with. Bob and I love heat, but not the kind that kills the taste buds when it hits the tongue. I know of folks who do this in competition, hoping it will blunt the ability of judges to really taste the next entries. I've come up with a way to store unused chipotles for a longer period of time. I mash them with the adobo sauce in which they're packed and refrigerate them, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. One teaspoon of the mashed chilies is the equivalent of one chili. I hope you'll find the truc helpful. This is a very straight forward recipe, so let's get to it. Here's how it's done.

Mexican Black Bean And Vegetable Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 to 1 finely chopped canned chipole chile in adobo sauce or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
2 cans (14.5-oz. each) canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14.5-oz. each) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (14.5-oz.) Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Optional garnish:
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until it's fragrance is released. Add chopped chipotle, cumin, basil, oregano, chili powder and bay leaf leaf. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add water, black beans, broth, stewed tomatoes and vinegar.
2) Bring contents of pot to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3) Remove pot from heat. Discard bay leaf. Place 2 cups of soup mixture in a blender. Let stand for 5 minutes and then process until smooth. Return puree to soup pot and stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 4 soup bowls. If using, top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

38 comments :

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Black bean soup is one of my all time favorites - thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

:)
ButterYum

Sasha said...

Mary, this soup sounds divine. I'm bookmarking this page.

Thanks for sharing! : )

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I like black beans soup very much. Mary, I will try your recipe next time

Martha said...

There is nothing like soup in the winter and we both love black bean soup.

Your flowers are beautiful!

Hootin Anni said...

I think I have everything in the recipe except for the pepper paste [I typed pepper paste 'cause I'm not sure how to spell chipotle and the spell checker only has chipolata for a choice that would even resemble pepper paste]. You know I love Mexican food.

Oh and the biscuits below, too, I bet are very tasty!!!

Have a great Monday Mary!

Barbara said...

Mary, Soups sounds tasty....I am looking for soups high in protein and no hot spice to make for my friend Sharon.

Barbara

Debbie said...

This soup looks wonderful Mary! Thanks!

Zurin said...

That looks dark and delicious!!

Coralie Cederna Johnson said...

Perfect for all of us, including my vegetarian daughter and family! Love this!

Cindy said...

Sounds and looks great.
cindy

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

That is a terrific photo of a difficult to photograph dish.

I love black beans, and this sounds wonderful. Filing this away to make soon

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

I would love this soup. There is something about black beans that won't let me leave them alone. I could eat them almost everyday.

La Table De Nana said...

Comfort food..It's pouring here..middle of winter..unusually so..This would just hit the spot~

xinex said...

Thank you, Mary! I love this...Christine

SmilingSally said...

This is my kinda food, Mary. Happy Blue Monday!

Claudia said...

I could always go for a bowl of black bean soup. Always. I learned to love it at a NYC restaurant and have had a honeymoon with it ever since. So glad to have another recipe.

Maria said...

This is my kind of soup.

LV said...

I love all kinds of soups. Yours today will be a super meal for Blue Monday.

gengen said...

Yummy food and the flower is pretty. Thanks for sharing. Mine is up also.

Curious Lissa said...

Why Blue? This looks warm and yummy! I love black bean soup!

Lynn said...

Your blog is lovely. What wonderful photographs! I love your header and your food philosophy, too. One perfect bite. Yum. I think that's what I am always seeking in my food, too. Thanks for sharing your beautiful site :)

Twin Tables said...

Mary, this sounds great. I like the touch of vinegar to heighten the flavor. I just read a recipe for black bean soup made with red wine, so my eyes have been opened to the possibilites for modifying my beloved black bean soups!

Chubskulit Rose said...

The soup looks tasty!

Blue Sky

EJ said...

Looks sumptuous and mouth watering.

Melting Icicles is my entry for Blue Monday!

Pam said...

I love black bean soup - this looks fantastic! The drop biscuits would have been tasty with this soup.

NKP said...

Black bean soup sure hits the spot - I love how simple this is!

Marice said...

that looks really yummy! :) thanks for sharing :)

u may view mine here

Juliana said...

Yummie, this soup with black beans and veggies, look absolutely delicious...so comforting, exactly right for this cold weather :-)

Chef Aimee said...

I love black bean ANYTHING and this soup is making me drool!

Alessandra said...

Great! I love bean soups, anytime! If I don't find black beans I suppose I could use borlotti or others???

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I love any soups. Thanks for sharing.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Alessandra, this really will work better with black beans.

Deb in Hawaii said...

Black bean soup is a favorite of mine--it looks delicious!

Mags @ the Other Side of 50 said...

I love black bean soup and am always on the lookout for different ways to make it. We love heat too, but agree that there can be too much of a good thing.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

This is funny - last night (Monday) I was thinking I needed to make a quick black bean soup to battle Blue Monday. The recipe was from Everyday Food and contained, beans, tomatoes, corn and tortillas. It worked perfectly!

bj said...

Hi, Mary...I can't wait to try this one. I am having about 20 or so folks over on Sunday..our home church group, and everyone is bringing sandwiches..a big pot of this would be PERFECT for them.
Thanks so much!!
xo bj

Katy ~ said...

I have never had this kind of soup, but I am a bean lover. This looks warm, nutritious, and satisfying. With all the dismal and dreary weather, this would certainly brighten the mood and cheer the belly. Thank you!

My Little Space said...

Such hearty and comforting soup! Sounds perfect with the cheesy drop biscuits. hhmmm...mmm..

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