+GF +SF
A dear friend of mine once said that soup is only for winter. While I love her, she’s just plain wrong, especially regarding this soup. This Cuban Black Bean Soup is so fresh, comforting, zesty and cozy that it should be titled “throughout the seasons soup.” Serve it up alongside a vegan grilled cheese in the winter to get you through those cold winter nights or top it off with some fresh guac over the summer for a refreshing dinner. —LM + AM
SERVES 6
2 (15-oz [425-g]) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 red bell peppers
1 large poblano pepper
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 medium red onion
1 large shallot
½ cup (120 ml) red wine
1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 cup (40 g) fresh cilantro, divided
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Brown sugar (optional)
TOPPINGS
Diced tomato
Vegan pepper jack cheese, for garnish
Cilantro
Place the beans in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes.
While the beans are cooking, quarter and core the peppers. Place them skin-side up on a baking sheet, brush them with a thin layer of olive oil (optional) and broil them until the skins are blackened.
Dice the onion and shallot, and sauté them in a medium skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions caramelize, about 15 minutes.
Deglaze the onions with the red wine and transfer to the pot with the beans.
After the peppers have cooled a bit, scrape off the blackened skins, chop them coarsely and add them to the pot of beans.
Add enough water to the pot (about 1 to 2 cups [240 to 480 ml]) to allow an immersion blender to purée the beans and peppers.
Add the smoked paprika, cumin, lime juice, sage and half of the cilantro to the pot. Purée the mixture with the immersion blender.
Add the salt and black pepper to taste.
If the paprika gives the soup a bitter flavor, add a small quantity of brown sugar to adjust. If the soup seems a little too spicy, whisk in a bit of olive oil.
Dice the tomato and squeeze out the seeds. Add the remainder of the cilantro and a dash of salt to the tomato; toss to combine.
Garnish the soup with a sprinkle of cheese, a sprig of cilantro and a mound of chopped tomato in the center of the bowl.
*SEE PHOTO INSERT