Native to the Americas, black beans have been a popular Latin American food for thousands of years. People all around the world are discovering that black beans not only taste great but are an excellent source of protein. One of the most common ways of cooking black beans is in black bean soup.
Black bean soup is a cheap and delicious way to feed a lot of people at once or just to make a snack for yourself. The ease and hearty flavor of black bean soup has made it popular in many areas, especially during cold weather.
To make 8-10 servings of black bean soup, rinse one pound (454 g) of black beans, after sorting through them and removing any pebbles or other debris. Put the beans in a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and bring them to a boil. When the beans begin to boil, they will also start to foam. After skimming off the foam, add one diced onion and one-half to one finely chopped garlic clove, to taste. Next, lower the heat and cook the mixture until the onions become soft, or about 15 minutes.
The next step in making a delicious black bean soup is to add a 16 oz (454 g) can of peeled tomatoes, their juice, and a little chopped cilantro. The amount of cilantro depends on how strongly you want the taste to show up in your soup. For extra spice, half of a pureed or minced chipotle chile can be added. Stir the beans occasionally.
Continue to cook the beans at low heat for an hour. After an hour, add a pinch of salt and cook for another 30 minutes. Taste the soup, and add more cilantro or salt as needed. Black bean soup can be served with sour cream or grated cheese on top, or simply by itself.
Black bean soup is popular with children and adults alike. It is very economical, as the ingredients can usually be found for a cheap price, and its flavor doesn't suffer if the recipe is doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. Try making a batch of black bean soup the next time you are going to have a lot of people over — it will be appreciated by all.
