Black Bean Soup
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This might be the first time I’ve made dry beans since the great smoke disaster of 2015. Ok, in a nutshell, I forgot I was cooking beans on the stove and went to the grocery store. I came home to a house full of smoke. No fire, thankfully! But, it was so bad we were out of our house for a really long time. Since this little incident, I have had an aversion to dry beans. I’m not sure what inspired me to give them a go again this week. I’ve been cooking for a lot of people lately and I think black bean soup sounded simple and satisfying. It ended up being a great decision. First of all, dry beans are SO affordable. I buy organic beans in bulk at the Whole Foods Coop. They come in a big 15 or so pound bag and last forever. As long as you remember to start soaking them the night before, making a big pot of black bean soup is quick and easy. Also super exciting: I pureed the leftover soup with 2 eggs and some almond & buckwheat flour and we had black bean burgers the next day. Win!
Black Bean Soup
10 hours, Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
3 c dry beans
water to cover double the size of the beans
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c chopped carrots
1 quart chicken or veggie stock
4 c water
2 t salt
1/2 t cayenne powder
2 t cumin
Directions:
- Place dry beans in large pot and cover with water so that the water hits about twice as high as the beans. Let the beans soak overnight (about 8 hours)
- Drain the water from the beans and set the beans aside.
- Heat olive oil in pot on medium heat and add onion, garlic, and carrots. Cook until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add chicken stock, water, beans, and the spices and let simmer (covered) until the beans are soft, but not mushy (about 1 1/2 hours).