"I have made lifelong friends with this soup," wrote Julia Moskin, and
we believe her. Black beans, also known as turtle beans, make a complex,
silky broth, so it doesngCOt need meat for seasoning like some bean soups
do. This recipe calls for chipotle chiles, but ground cumin and ground coriander are a milder substitute. Make a batch of cornbread - cut into
wedges and plastic-wrapped so they can be frozen and thawed as needed -
to go alongside.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Best Black Bean Soup
Categories: Chilies, Beans, Vegetables, Herbs, Wine
Yield: 10 servings

MMMMM----------------------------SOUP---------------------------------
7 oz Can chipotle chilies in
- adobo
2 tb Olive oil
2 Carrots; peeled; chopped
2 Onions; peeled, chopped
4 cl Garlic; minced
1 c Red wine
2 Jalape+Xos; seeded, chopped
1 lb Dry black beans; do not soak
2 qt Mild vegetable or chicken
- stock
1 tb Dried oregano
2 Bay leaves
1 tb Kosher salt
1 ts Ground black pepper
Red wine vinegar

MMMMM----------------PICKLED ONIONS & GARNISHES (---------------------
1 sm Red onion; peeled, thin
- sliced
2 Limes; fresh squeezed juice
Salt
Sour cream or Mexican crema
Whole cilantro leaves
Thin sliced fresh chilies
Sliced avocado

Empty the can of chilies into a blender or food
processor. Pur++e until smooth, scrape into a container,
and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and
keep hot.

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.

Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and
vegetables are coated. Add jalape+Xos and cook, stirring,
just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out
to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of
chipotle pur++e in the center. Let fry for a minute and
then stir together with the vegetables.

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.

Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl,
combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of
salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and
tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready
to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.

Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine
whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans
release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick
broth without pur++eing. If soup seems thin, use an
immersion blender or blender to pur++e a small amount of
the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue
until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that
the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.

Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings
with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of
chipotle pur++e.

Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour
cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles
and avocado as desired.

Tip: If chipotle chiles are unavailable, use 1 tb each
ground cumin and ground coriander. Add to the vegetables
at the same point in the recipe, in Step 3.

By: Julia Moskin

Yield: 10 servings

RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

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