Summary: Another fine recipe from our pastry chef – just in time for winter warm up and Mardi Gras.

Prep time: 1 hr  45 min – *see prep |  Yield: Serves 8 as dinner, more as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight or 6 hours
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cups water
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• ½ carrot, chopped fine
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 c. chicken stock or broth
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 3-4 tbsp limejuice, divided cilantro, fresh, chopped, sour cream
  

*Prep – Rinse and soak beans in 4 quarts of water 6 hours or overnight. Drain to use in recipe.

Instructions

1. Place beans, bay leaves, salt and baking soda with 5 cups water in a thick-bottomed pot. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 1½ hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves.
2. In another 8-quart thick-bottomed pot heat olive oil. Add the onions, celery, sweet potato and ½ tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until light browned and softened, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add cumin, chili powder and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
3. Add the beans, their cooking liquid, chicken stock, molasses, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes
4. Remove 4 cups of the soup (about ½) to a blender.  Puree until smooth and return to the pot of soup.  (You may need to puree the soup in smaller portions, depending on the size of your blender.  Don’t fill the blender more than ½ way and hold the lid while blending.)  Add 3 tbsp of limejuice. Salt to taste.  Mix 1 tbsp lime juice with sour cream and cilantro and use as garnish in top of soup.

Garnish: Mix 1 tbs lime juice with sour cream and cilantro.

Black Beans and Your Health

Black beans, also referred to as turtle beans, due to their shiny, dark, shell-like appearance and are loaded with cholesterol-lowering fiber, high quality protein and virtually fat-free.  Black beans are an especially good choice for people with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia as the high-fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too quickly after a meal.  Black beans are also loaded with Antioxidants, molybdenum, folate, tryptophan, magnese, vitamin B1, phosphorus, iron and magnesium.  Learn more about the health benefits of black beans.