The Best Black Bean Soup

I've experimented with a lot of recipes for black bean soup over the years and I've improvised some variations of my own.  There's nothing quite like the flavor of black beans and they're high in protein and satisfying.  This soup comes together quickly and then takes a couple of hours to simmer.  It really sparks your appetite as it fills the kitchen with a warm, smoky aroma.  When dinner time finally rolls around, you'll be hungry.  Add some fresh toppings and a corn tostada or flour tortilla on the side.

First, the beans:

Add a classic mirepoix:

Some broth and spices:

And finally, the fresh toppings:

Here's the recipe:

1 pound dried black beans, rinse and picked over
4 ounces ham
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
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3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
3 ribs of celery, chopped fine
1/2 teasp salt
5-6 cloves garlic
1/2 teasp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
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Garnish with any fresh toppings that you like.  Here are some ideas:

• fresh lime wedges
• fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• red onion, or green onion finely diced
• avocado, diced
• green pepper, finely minced
• sour cream
• red salsa
• fresh finely diced jalapeno (if you're brave)

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And, on the side:
Fresh soft flour or crispy corn tortillas.
Another squeeze of fresh lime juice

1.  Place diced ham, beans, and bay leaves into a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid.  (I love my all-purpose dutch oven for this.)  Bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 90 minutes.  Note: beans should be tender at this point.  If not, add a little more water and continue simmering a few more minutes. Don't ever let beans go dry while they're cooking.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet.  Add onions, carrot, celery and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and just starting to brown.  Reduce the heat and add garlic, pepper flakes and cumin.  Continue cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  

3. Add the vegetable trio (mirepoix) and garlic to the pot with the beans and ham.  Add the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

4. Ladle a couple of cups of the soup into a blender and blend till smooth.  Add it back to the pot.  Stir together the cornstarch and water and add that to the pot..  Return the soup to a boil for just a minute to thicken it. If it's not thick enough, repeat the cornstarch trick.  Add salt to taste.

5.  Remove the soup from the heat and add the lime juice.

6.  Serve hot and let everyone add their own toppings.

Yummy!

Add a fresh sliced mango for dessert and you've got something.  Roger eats it up.
Candi