Cuban Black Bean Soup
Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner-Jan Gautro; 
Chef Douglas Rodriguez of DeLaCosta restaurant in Chicago was born in America, but this recipe is inspired by his mother's black bean soup, which offered robust flavor for people who didn't have money to spend on meat for stock. Here we use both fresh and dried oregano because each imparts a different flavor to the final dish.
| Servings:10 servings | Prep Time:n/a | Cook Time:n/a |
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 12 1/2 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (about 3 medium)
- 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped shallots (about 2 small)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups diced peeled avocado
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cups thinly sliced red onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped 33%-less-sodium smoked, fully cooked ham
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 10 teaspoon unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted
- 1/3 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 2 medium)
- Lime wedges (optional)
- poly fat:2.3 g
- carbohydrate:43.9 g
- sodium:637 mg
- protein:18.6 g
- calories from fat:31 %
- iron:6.1 mg
- fat:12 g
- mono fat:5.7 g
- cholesterol:14 mg
- calories:344
- calcium:110 mg
- fiber:14.7 g
- saturated fat:3.4 g
directions
Place bay leaves and beans in a Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, chopped onion, and shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and fresh oregano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a blender; add remaining 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth.
Add vegetable mixture, sugar, and salt to beans; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Ladle 3/4 cup bean mixture into each of 10 bowls; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture, about 3 tablespoons red onion, 2 tablespoons ham, about 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkinseed kernels, and about 1/2 teaspoon jalapeño pepper. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
