#2 - Black Bean Soup

I've been in a soup mood... and excited about using my new hand blender... so I tried a recipe for black bean soup with salsa cream that I found in my sister's "Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup" cookbook.  It was pretty good, not great, but I added more spices to the leftovers and that significantly improved the flavor, making it a great soup that I will definitely make again in the future.  I only used one jalapeno, but it would definitely be better with two.  I altered the original recipe a bit by adding chili powder and increasing the spice measurements (all reflected in the recipe below).  I paired it with quesadillas (roasted red and green peppers and pepper jack cheese) that were good with the extra salsa cream.  Made for a great meal.  Recipe #2, done!


Ingredients:
For soup:
2 cans black beans
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried coriander (cilantro)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
8 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
salt and pepper to taste


For salsa cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons purchased fresh salsa
salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chile to taste along with the garlic, bell pepper, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and the mixture is very aromatic, 7-10 minutes.

Add the beans and water, cover partially, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree the soup, leaving some texture. Add the lime juice, minced cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently over medium heat.

Just before serving, make the salsa cream. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, salsa, and salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each bowl with the salsa cream and a cilantro sprig.

Makes about 8 servings.

New skills: figuring out recipes... cilantro vs. coriander!
New ingredients: cilantro and coriander!