Black and Bean

I was reading a recipe from Dave Lieberman who had a show on the Food Network. He has a recipe for black bean soup. I love black beans and decided to try my hand at it. I did not have several of the ingredients on hand and I always feel that you can make just about anything with whatever you have in your pantry. I always have canned beans in my pantry. You can make cakes, add them to rice or make my version of black bean soup.

you will need:

1-can low sodium black bean drained

1-medium onion diced

3-cloves of garlic, diced

2-small tomatoes, diced

4-slices thin lean ham, diced

1/2-cup of refried pinto beans*

3-dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1-cup unsalted chicken or vegetable broth

1-sage leaf, chopped

2-dashes hot sauce

1-sprig of thyme, chopped

2-tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

sour cream, cilantro or avocado for garnish

*optional

equipment:

blender 

In a sauce pan heat the oil and crisp up the ham approximately 2 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, black beans and pinto beans and cook for a minute. Add the broth or stock, worcestershire and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool a little then add ladle by ladle to your blender and puree until smooth. You want a dense consistency. When all the soup is blended pour into a bowl add your garnish and enjoy this delicious meal hot or cool.

Happy Eating!