Black Bean Soup
Black bean soup is the perfect savory meal for any chilly evening. Too bad pulling it off starts with an entire night of soaking the beans. Real Simple version—just use 2 cans of black beans.
Traditional recipes also call for the slow simmering of onions, garlic, and peppers. Real Simple’s speedy version gets an immediate kick from the pre-marinated flavors of salsa and canned beans.
Heating the salsa as a base for the soup softens and sweetens the otherwise overwhelming onions and further blends flavors, and creamy and citrusy garnishes cut the occasional pastiness of the beans. Plus it reheats nicely, if you want to double the batch, freeze, and save for a lazy (even lazier, that is) night.
Hands-on time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes if made from scratch: 3 hours, plus overnight soaking
Ingredients
1 cup jarred fresh tomato salsa
(plus extra for garnish)
2 15½-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
Sour cream (1 dollop per serving)
1 lime (optional)
Dry sherry (optional)
Instructions:
Makes 4 servings
Origin of recipe: Barbara Roussillion, a family friend, found this “jewel” in an issue of Real Simple magazine. Great on a cool Fall evening…enjoy.
Traditional recipes also call for the slow simmering of onions, garlic, and peppers. Real Simple’s speedy version gets an immediate kick from the pre-marinated flavors of salsa and canned beans.
Heating the salsa as a base for the soup softens and sweetens the otherwise overwhelming onions and further blends flavors, and creamy and citrusy garnishes cut the occasional pastiness of the beans. Plus it reheats nicely, if you want to double the batch, freeze, and save for a lazy (even lazier, that is) night.
Hands-on time: 10 minutes Total time: 30 minutes if made from scratch: 3 hours, plus overnight soaking
Ingredients
1 cup jarred fresh tomato salsa
(plus extra for garnish)
2 15½-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
Sour cream (1 dollop per serving)
1 lime (optional)
Dry sherry (optional)
Instructions:
- Heat the salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the beans and broth, then heat to boiling.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
- Cool slightly, then spoon half the soup into a food processor or blender and puree.
- Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and heat through.
- Serve with sour cream, additional salsa, and a squeeze of lime (if using) or stir 1 or 2 tablespoons dry sherry into each serving.
Makes 4 servings
Origin of recipe: Barbara Roussillion, a family friend, found this “jewel” in an issue of Real Simple magazine. Great on a cool Fall evening…enjoy.