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  • Quick Black Bean Soup
  • From "Ask DIY"
    episode ADI-109
    advertisement

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Canned black beans, savory vegetables and fresh seasonings combine for quick, hearty soup.

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    Figure A

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    Figure B

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    Figure C

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    Figure D

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    Figure E

    Q: I'm looking for a hearty soup recipe that's good for watching the games with the guys.

    A: (Ask DIY Cooking expert Paul Sturkey) Try this hearty, spicy Quick Black Bean Soup.

    Materials:

    Cutting board and knife
    Four-quart stockpot or saucepan
    Handheld blender (optional)

    Ingredients:

    1/4 cup onion, diced
    1 Tbs. garlic, minced
    1/4 cup celery, diced
    1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
    1 chipotle pepper, fresh or canned, diced
    2 oz. bacon, diced
    4 cups already cooked blacked beans
    1 qt. chicken stock
    1 qt. beef stock
    3 Tbs. ground cumin
    1 Tbs. chili powder
    2 dashes Worchestershire sauce
    1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
    1/8 cup fresh cilantro, minced
    2 oz. fresh corn, cut from cob, or frozen (optional)
    2 oz. green tomatoes or tomatillos, diced (optional)
    1/8 cup scallions, diced
    Shot of sherry or cider vinegar
    Optional: Andouille or chorizo sausage, cooked chicken, or crawfish
    Optional garnish: sour cream, slivered red bell pepper

    Buyer's guide: Find chipotle, essentially smoked jalapeC1o peppers, fresh or canned at a Mexican market or the ethnic-foods aisle of a large grocery store. Tomatilloes are those palm-sized green vegetables with brown husks in the produce section.

    Preparation:

    1. In a large saucepan, sautC) the diced bacon until it releases some fat and then add the diced onion, garlic and celery. SautC) just until the vegetables begin to caramelize (figure A).

    2. Add the canned or cooked black beans (figure B), chicken stock, beef stock, cumin, chili powder, and Worchestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Add the chipotle pepper (figure C). Reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.

      Working smarter: If you have a bunch of just one stock -- chicken or beef -- in the pantry, use just one, don't buy more of the other. For a vegetarian version of the soup, use vegetable stock, and omit the bacon in the first step. You can also use water in place of stock.

    3. Add some fresh vegetables and seasonings -- the red bell pepper, cilantro, corn, tomatillos and scallions, and warm through.

    4. If you like, add one or a mix of these optional ingredients to the soup: Andouille or chorizo sausage, diced cooked chicken, or crawfish (figure D). Warm through.

      Note: If you'd like the soup to be even thicker, submerge a handheld blender to break up a few of the beans (figure E) before adding the meat or fresh vegetables.

    5. Drizzle some sherry wine vinegar or cider vinegar on top of the soup, then stir just slightly.

    6. Serve the soup in bowls, on top of cooked rice, if you like. Garnish with sour cream and slivers of red bell pepper and serve corn muffins as an accompaniment.

    For more information on Paul Sturkey and his Cincinnati restaurant, click here.

    Web site resources for Black Bean Soup:

    Black Bean Soup With Cilantro from HGTV.com

    Black Bean Soup With Turkey from Turkey Federation Ahoy.com

    Black Bean Soup from Gourmet Spot.com

    Vegetarian Black Bean Soup from CD Kitchen.com

    Black Bean and Rice Soup from Women.com

    Books:

    Bean Soup
    By Sarah Hines-Stephens
    ISBN: 0152021647
    Red Wagon Books
    Harcourt Inc. Trade Division
    525 B St., Suite 1900
    San Diego, CA 92101
    Phone: 619-699-6560
    Fax: 619-699-5555
    Web site: www.harcourtbooks.com

    The Soup Bible
    By David Paul Larousse
    ISBN: 0471135623
    John Wiley & Sons Inc. (1997)
    605 Third Ave.
    New York, NY 10010
    Phone: 212-576-9400
    Fax: 212-481-1891
    E-mail: info@wiley.com
    Web site: www.wiley.com

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