Thursday, August 18, 2011

Soups On!




 It is almost that time of year again and I am excited to share one of my favorite recipes. For me nothing says Autumn like a big bowl of black bean soup. This recipe is a very basic template to start with and customize to your taste.


2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups stock
3 15-ounce cans black beans 2 with liquid 1 drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I LOVE cumin!)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1. Saute onion, celery, pepper and garlic in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Don't let the veggies brown.

2. Add stock, 1 can of beans and cumin. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or by pouring into a blender in batches. Be very careful not to fill the blender too full and use a hand towel to hold the lid down on the top of the blender so that the hot liquid does not spray out.

4. Add the remaining can of beans with juice and drained can to the soup along with the lemon juice. Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, then add this slurry to the soup and bring it back up to a simmer and cook until thick.

     The beauty of this soup is you can use any kind of stock you like and make some great combos with this base recipe. Try pork stock with crumbled bacon or stay all veggie with vegetable stock and add some heat by substituting a hot pepper for the bell, experiment and have fun it will be fantastic!