- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Protein-packed and rich in fiber, black bean soup serves as a fulfilling lunch or dinner first course. Use only fresh cilantro, garlic, and parsley.
Contents
Adding fresh cilantro and parsley, as well as the sour cream, to the end of this recipe gives this soup a lovely, comforting aroma. You can soak dried black beans over night, as directed, or choose the canned option, remembering to reserve the canning liquid in case the soup needs thinning.
Soaking dried beans of any variety overnight for any recipe is always preferred to using canned beans. The soaking helps to remove some of the tough outer skin and reduces gassiness while retaining maximum nutritional value.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of roasted garlic, crushed
- 1 pound of soaked or 2 cans of black beans
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1 large fresh tomato, peeled, chopped, and seeded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream
Instructions
- If you have not yet roasted the garlic cloves, do so now. Lop off the top tips of a head of garlic. Place it in an aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil.
- Close the pouch, and roast in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes.
- In a medium pot, warm the oil over medium heat and fry the onion until transparent. Add the garlic to coat.
- Add beans and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add tomato (reserving about 12 small chops for garnish), salt, and cayenne pepper. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in coriander leaves and parsley; let stand for five minutes.
Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, chopped tomato pieces, and a cilantro leaf or two. - Serve. In the southern US, black bean soup and many other soups or stews are served with cornbread slices or muffins.
