I started with the recipe off the bag of black beans I had in the pantry, but it was a little bland frankly. Here’s about what I ended up with, which was good, but still a little milder than I’d prefer.
Black Bean Soup
This mild black bean soup tastes great with a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa on top.
Ingredients
- 1 pound black beans
- 8 cups water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp celery seeds
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs oil
- 2 Tsp chili powder
- 1/2 to 1 cup diced ham optional
- salsa for topping
- sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the black beans overnight in water, or bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit one hour.
- Add water, bay leaves, celery seeds, celery and dry mustard. Simmer about an hour, until starting to soften.
- Heat the oil and then saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add to the beans along with the chili powder and ham. Simmer another hour.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Add some salsa if you’d like!
Making my own comment here after the fact. I found the ham distracting. I love ham in lentil and split pea soups, but it didn’t sit right with me in the black bean soup.