This Cuban Black Bean Soup is both extremely fragrant and flavorful. Garnish with chopped onions and cilantro for further flavor. My favorite way to eat this is to serve black beans over a bowl of rice. Use a slotted spoon to strain the liquid when serving over rice. It tastes best when the beans have cooled a bit rather than steaming hot.
Cuban Black Bean Soup
1 lb. dried black beans
10 cups water
½ cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
3 tsp sugar
4 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cumin
- Soak the black beans overnight. Place the beans and 10 cups of fresh water in a large soup pot. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook the beans slowly for 50 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
- After the black beans have cooked for 50 minutes, start sautéing the vegetables. In a separate pot, add the olive oil, onions, pepper, and garlic. Sauté lightly for 3-5 minutes stirring frequently. When the vegetables are soft, pour the contents of the pot—all of vegetables, olive oil, and garlic—into the pot of beans.
- Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin to the pot of black beans. Mix well. Cover the pot and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. The black beans should be fully cooked by this point. If not, continue simmering until the black beans are done. If you are serving this meal with rice, then start cooking the rice after adding all of the spices and vinegar. The rice should be done by the time the black beans are done.
- Turn off the heat and let the black bean soup stand for 10 minutes. Serve lukewarm.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Find more bean recipes here: The Complete List of Bean Recipes by BeansBeansBeans