This soup is a serious game changer! I haven't managed a recipe post in a long time, because life has taken me on so many paths this last couple of years. However, can you imagine how good this soup must taste, to be the first thing I blog about in such a long time? Yep. It was soooo good that I'd made enough for three to four hearty portions, with some gluten free soda bread to go with it, and yet we ate the whole lot. Greedy greedy. But it was begging us to eat it. No messing.
I'd been looking for a way to use the black beans that I'd had soaked the night before and then cooked, thinking maybe they'd end up as burgers, or a black bean chilli. Then I discovered a nonvegan recipe for a stew/soup type dish, which had a large amount of dead pig in it. Well, obviously I wasn't going to make that, but I understood that with it being 'ham', there would probably be a smoky, salty flavour.
So this was my inspiration. I thought, "I'll make a bean soup with a whole heap of smoked paprika in it". The original recipe also had a lot of vinegar, which it said was key. Hence why mine has got a lot in, too. I added the scotch bonnet, and some cumin for more flavour. Oh and the peanut butter, as well. Definitely optional, but it really adds flavour.
These quantities are not all exact, as I didn't measure the paprika or cumin and some of the other ingredients. However, these are my good guesstimates as yet, and I do intend to make this again very soon because I just loved it. So I'll measure properly, and then update here! I think I'll up the quantities, too! This is the sort of soup that should be made in a huge batch, because you'll just wish for more when you try it.
The scotch bonnet is optional - or if you don't like too much heat, just add a small pinch of chilli powder, instead.
Vegan Cuban Black Bean Soup
Serves 3-4
1lb black beans (2 cups dry weight)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium peppers (1 orange & 1 red), finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaped tbsp natural peanut butter (optional)
1 tbsp smoked paprika (poss more)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or more)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion until translucent and cooked through, then add the chopped peppers. Fry a while longer - 4-5 minutes - before adding the garlic and scotch bonnet. Fry another two minutes or so, then add the cooked beans, cumin powder and paprika.
2. Stir in the beans, and after they've been sautéed with everything else for a minute and mixed in well, cover with just enough water to allow the flavours and the mixture to blend together.
3. Stir in the peanut butter, add the salt and pepper (more salt might be needed), and then add the vinegar. Allow the soup to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
4. Turn the hear off. Remove about two thirds of the soup into a food processor or blender and blend for 30 seconds or so. Don't let it blend until very smooth, you want it with bits. Transfer the blended soup back into the pan with the chunky soup, and stir in.
5. Serve with soda bread, or even rice.
Thanks for the recipe.
https://www.jewellerysecrets.co.uk
Posted by: Augusta | March 07, 2019 at 02:33 PM