Black Bean Soup

My kids love bean soups, which really surprises me. Kids will often eat things in soup that they won't eat any other way. One thing I love about bean soups and chilis is that they're versatile and great for 2-3 nights. You can serve them one night with tortillas or quesadillas, one night with corn bread or french bread, and one night over rice. So you can get 3 mostly different meals from one pot of soup! You can also often make them with whatever you have in the fridge, which is also a great way to use up veggies.

I'm giving directions using dried beans, because I really prefer them. However, you can make this soup more quickly by using canned beans. Just start from step 2.

Black Bean Soup
1 pound dried black beans (or 2 15-oz cans, drained and rinsed)
6 cups water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
30 ounces chicken broth or vegetable stock (you will need extra if you use canned beans)
salt to taste - I use about 1/2 teaspoon

1. Rinse the black beans and pick over them. Add to a pot with 6 cups water. Remove any beans that float. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours.


2. Add olive oil, leeks, celery, garlic, and chiles to a large pot. Saute until veggies are softened and leeks and garlic are translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in beans (with cooking liquid if using dried beans, without if using canned), cumin, tomatoes, and kale. Add 15 ounces broth if using dried beans, 30 ounces if using canned beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. If desired, puree 3 cups of the soup and add it back in to the soup, then let simmer for 15 minutes more. This creates a thicker soup.


3. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and sour cream, or cheese and diced onions.

Variations:

• Instead of using olive oil in step 2, dice 3 pieces of bacon. Saute the bacon on medium heat until all the fat is rendered. Add veggies and proceed as directed.


• Separately, dice cooked chorizo, keilbasa, or other spicy sausage. Add to soup with tomatoes and beans in step 2.

Update from 9/15/08: We had this tonight, and it was amazing! I heated flour tortillas and the boys happily dipped away, then wolfed it down by the spoonful. The flavors in this soup are really bright: the carrots and leeks add a slight sweetness, the kale added depth and a hint of bitterness, and the texture was divine. This recipe will be in regular rotation this winter.