August 2, 2011

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Heart-warming Soups

Prep time:

38 minutes

cooking time:

3 1/4 hours

“My grandmother learned to make this authentic soup from her Cuban friend. Her grandkids call her "abuelita." ”

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 pound dried black beans
4 tablespoons butter
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Madeira or 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
10 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Directions

1
Bring 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add beans. Cook for 10 minutes; drain well.
2
Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add celery, yellow onions and garlic. Cook, stirring continually, until tender, about 8 minutes.
3
Combine beans, celery mixture, broth, Madeira, bay leaves and black pepper in a large saucepot and mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cover.
4
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 3 hours, adding water if needed to keep the beans covered.
5
Remove bay leaves. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon. Stir in remaining bacon. Ladle half the bean mixture into a blender. Process until pureed. Return to saucepot and mix well. Ladle into soup bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions and reserved crumbled bacon.

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Grandma's Secret Tip

For real authentic Cuban flavor, Grandma substituted 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk for a cup of the water when she cooked the beans. She said it gave them a rich, tropical taste.

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