Recipes from the Road: Black Bean and Chorizo Soup with Chipotle Creme Fraiche

From Wen-Tyan Soo
Serves 12-16

Not to play into Wisconsin stereotypes, but our Milwaukee Soup & Bread at the Sugar Maple was marked by an abundance of hearty bean- and sausage-oriented soups. Tyan, one of a trio of bubbly friends who all participated, produced this spicy, almost chililike concoction.

Ingredients
1 medium onion
2 links spicy chorizo
1 12-ounce can of crushed tomatoes or 1 bottle salsa
1 20-ounce can black beans
1 20-ounce can black refried beans
1 quart beef stock
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 container creme fraiche or sour cream
1 avocado, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preparation
Dice and saute the onion in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. At the same time, in another pot, take the chorizo out of the casing and saute with no oil, breaking it apart. After onions are lightly browned, take chorizo out with slotted spoon to leave oil and add to onions. Add garlic and saute. Add tomatoes. Rinse black beans and add. Drain oil from refried beans and add. Add beef stock, cilantro, cumin, and pepper, then add 1 chipotle, minced fine. Bring all to a boil then turn down to simmer for half an hour.

To make the chipotle creme fraiche, mince the second chipotle and add 1 tablespoon sauce from can and mix with small container creme fraiche or sour cream.

You can serve on its own, or over rice to make a full meal out of it. Garnish with avocado slices, limes and creme fraiche. Ole!