Vegetarian/Vegan Black Bean Soup |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Minutes |
Ready In: 22 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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I like this recipe because it is so simple. I love the rich, velvety flavor and texture of black beans, and this unfussy soup highlights those qualities. I like that it starts with dried beans, which have less salt and a nicer texture than canned, but does not require you to pre-soak them (although you can). Unlike many of the black bean recipes here, this one does not have ham, chicken broth, or tomatoes. If you leave off the sour cream or use something non-dairy, it will be vegan. I got this from the newspaper in Raleigh, North Carolina. It says it's from the Carolina Coffee Shop. I think the article said something about it being from an independent Carolina Coffee Shop in Chapel Hill, but there is a chain, one of which is in Raleigh, so I'm not sure. I like to put rice in mine (it's still a soup, not black beans and rice), but it's also good with cornbread. Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil |
1 large onion, diced |
2 carrots, diced |
4 stalks celery, diced |
2 garlic cloves, minced |
2 cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed |
8 cups water |
1/2 teaspoon cumin |
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper |
sour cream (optional) or plain yogurt (optional) |
hot cooked rice (optional) |
lemons (optional) or lime, cut into wedges (optional) |
chopped fresh cilantro (optional) |
hot sauce (eg tabasco) (optional) |
Directions:
1. If you like, you can presoak the beans overnight to reduce cooking time; the cooking time here assumes you haven't.
2. Heat oil in a large pot, then saute the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened but not browned (about 3 minutes).
3. Add beans and water.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Add cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
6. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 1/2 hours or more, until beans are beginning to fall apart and the surrounding liquid has thickened.
7. Adjust seasoning.
8. Serve with sour cream or yogurt, and/or any of the other toppings.
9. For the vegan option omit the sour cream or yogurt.
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