Best Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 carrots (chopped)
  • 2 onions (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 lb dry black beans (do not soak)
  • 8 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • red wine vinegar (to taste)

Instructions:

  1. In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
  2. Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add cumin and coriander.
  3. Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
  4. Adjust the texture of the soup: If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. 
  5. Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, and drops of red wine vinegar
  6. Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.

Servings: 10

Source: Rediscovering Black Bean Soup. By JULIA MOSKIN, FEB. 28, 2017 NY Times