Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
SERVES 4 TO 6
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS It doesn’t take armfuls of ingredients and lots of time to make a great black bean soup—if you have the right tricks up your sleeve. To avoid the long process of soaking and simmering dried black beans, we went straight for the canned variety. Sliced chorizo and garam masala (a mixture of warm spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom) added flavor and richness without an exhausting amount of prep. Cooking the chorizo first provided rendered fat that we could use to bloom the garam masala and deepen its flavor, leading to a speedy soup with surprising intensity. Smashing a portion of the beans gave our soup body. Finally, for brightness, we stirred in a cup of fresh tomato salsa. Now our black bean soup offered all the rich, hearty flavor we expected—but in a fraction of the time and without much work. Click here for more information on garam masala. See the Test Kitchen Tip that follows the recipe.
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8 |
ounces chorizo sausage |
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1 |
teaspoon garam masala |
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4 |
(15-ounce) cans black beans |
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3 |
cups chicken broth |
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1 |
cup fresh salsa |
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Fresh cilantro |
1. Halve chorizo lengthwise then slice crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Cook chorizo in large saucepan over low heat until fat begins to render, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook until chorizo is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl.
2. Add garam masala to fat left in pot and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Rinse beans, then stir into pot with broth. Bring soup to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
3. Off heat, mash some beans against side of pot with spoon to thicken soup. Stir in chorizo and salsa and let heat through, about 1 minute. Chop ½ cup cilantro and stir into soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.