Curried Black Bean Soup

From Molly Breslin, Breslin Farms

Literally (literally!) as I type this, Molly is on her way over to pick up some Soup & Bread cookbooks to sell at tonight’s first-ever Soup & Bread: Ottawa, organized by our mutual friends Jody and Beth Osmund, of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm. It seemed the least I could do in return was get her recipe out in the world. Her black bean soup was loaded with all four Cs (Cumin, Cardamom, Coriander, Cilantro), with the surprise of a pile of chewy, nutrient-rich wheat berries tucked underneath. It’s vegan, save for the garnish, and an absolute meal in a bowl.

Ingredients 
2 c. black beans (1 c. dry)
1 ancho chile
1 puya or guajillo chile, dried or roasted

1/2 teaspoon cardamom seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

2 tablespoons clarified unsalted butter or olive or coconut oil

1 cup onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped

1 bay leaf
1 Cuban oregano leaf, chopped fine.

2 cups pot liquor

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup wheat berries (1/2 cup dry)
sour cream or yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh squeezed if possible

Preparation
Soak beans overnight, change the water, then cook with chiles until soft. Strain, but keep the liquid in reserve.

Dry toast the spices over medium heat, let cool, then grind together. If using any preground spices, add last and toast sparingly.

Add to ground spices and heat.

Add veggies to hot spice/butter mixture and saute on medium-low heat until onions are soft and translucent.

Add beans to spice/veggie mixture.Then add bay leaf and Cuban oregano.

Add back 2 cups of bean cooking water – or more, for desired consistency.
Let the soup simmer for a while so the flavors can blend.

Add salt to taste.

Serving suggestions:

Serve over a spoonful of cooked wheat berries (may be soaked or beforehand if desired). Top with a dollop of dairy and pinch of greens dressed in lime juice.

Posted: Wednesday Jan 16,2013 10:15 AM In Soup Recipes