This black bean soup and its accompaniments are deliciously simple. Just far enough off the beaten path to be interesting, but not so far that you couldn’t consider it every-day fare. Strong, homemade vibe in the tastiest way imaginable. This is an unfussy but high-scoring meal you serve to close friends who don’t have to ask “do you eat this way all the time,” because they know you do, and that’s why, in better times, they would’’ve come over to join you.
Menu:
Black Bean Soup
Mexican Green Rice with Spinach
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Fresh Pineapple Spears
Logistics
I recommend that you start by making the tortillas days in advance (or using store-bought). Prep the pineapple[1] and refrigerate the spears. Next, prep all the ingredients for both dishes. That way, you’ll be able to make the rice while the soup simmers. Otherwise, the multitasking will become too intense.
Black Bean Soup
¾ lb. dried black beans
1 Tbs. coarse salt
3½ tsp chicken stock paste, more or less
1 Tbs bacon fat
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 medium russet potato, diced
2 tsp thyme
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salsa picante (hot sauce), or to taste
Cilantro, minced, for garnish
Cotija cheese, for garnish
- Put the beans in a pot and cover them with 6 cups of water. Add salt. Cover the pot, and bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat, about 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to lowest setting and cook the beans, covered, until al dente, 1 hour.
- Strain the beans. Reserve the liquid. Measure the liquid. While it is still warm, whisk in 1 teaspoon of chicken stock paste per cup of liquid.
- Heat bacon fat in a medium-sized soup pot over medium heat. Add onion. Cook just softened, 3 minutes. Add garlic, and stir until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Immediately add 2 cups of the reserved bean cooking liquid and stir. Then add tomatoes, 3 cups of the beans (repurpose any remaining), potato, thyme, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 25 minutes. Correct seasoning. Stir in hot sauce. Garnish with cilantro and cotija.
Of course you don’t have to use bacon fat. You could use olive oil. But bacon fat goes so well with black beans that I actually can’t believe I didn’t add bacon bits to the soup. What was I thinking?
A mild feta would make a good substitute for the cojita, or you could go another directions completely and use cheddar or jack.
Mexican Green Rice with Spinach
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs minced jalapeno
1 cup brown basmati rice
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup minced cilantro
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepot. Add onion. Cook just softened, 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno, and stir until fragrant, less than 1 minute. Immediately add rice and stir. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to lowest heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in spinach, cover, and continue to cook until the rice is tender, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork as you gently stir in the cilantro.
If you want to plate it the way I’ve done here, simply spoon a single serving of rice into a wet coffee cup or ramekin (maybe slightly pack it in) and invert onto a plate.
Social Learning
These recipes come from “Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish.[2]” I’ve really come to love this book. But I have to qualify this with a huge confession: Ornish’s book is about healthy cooking, and I regularly unheathitize it, as I’ve done in this post.
The book is divided into four sections, one for each season. The recipes within each section maximize the foods that peak during that season. Recipes are grouped together into complete meals: typically a main, a few sides, and dessert, with an eye toward variety and nutrition. Portions are generous and satisfying. Most importantly, I suppose, the recipes are stellar. I love all of that.
Ornish’s recipes are “plant-based.” That’s the term he uses in the introduction. The way I understand it, the difference between that and “vegan” is the difference between health and ethics – but I’m not confident this is true in real-life conversational practice. I doubt I’ll ever give up meat and animal-related foods, but I can’t argue with the ethical and health problems that surround those things. As it is, as much as I love meat, I don’t eat a lot of it. I do, though, eat more than my fair share of milk, cheese, butter, and eggs. And bacon, which I do not consider so much a “meat” as one of the essential building blocks of all organic life.
So, the original recipes that inspired this post didn’t include things like bacon fat and chicken stock. The menu did include an okra side dish, which I made out of curiosity before concluding that okra probably isn’t for me.
[1] I’m suggesting fresh pineapple spears, but you could fancy them up if you wanted to.
[2] Ornish, Dean. 1996. Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish. New York: Harper Collins. 82
Black Bean Soup: Dinner for Four
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.
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This reminds me I need to make a big pot of black bean soup. Your recipe sounds delicious!
Thanks, Anne!
Wow Jeff both of these dishes look absolutely delicious!!! I am particularly intrigued by the black bean soup. LOVE the combo of black beans and potatoes. This is the perfect meal as our days get chilly, YUM!
Thank you!
When you mentioned the recipes came from Dean Ornish, I was shocked that he used bacon fat until I read on and learned that was your addition! I’m sure it was delicious but as a vegan Dean’s recipe would be perfect for me. I love the rice recipe.
Judee recently posted…Driving To Florida- Covid and Hotels
I have no doubt that the vegan version would be delicious.
Both soup and Mexican rice look comforting, satisfying and delicious, Jeff. I love black beans…actually all sorts of lentils and beans, sadly they don’t love me back :-((
angiesrecipes recently posted…Crusty Emmer Hokkaido Pumpkin Bread (Dairy, Egg free)
Beans are so selfish!
Adoro i fagioli neri, un piatto ricco e saporito!
speedy70 recently posted…RISOTTO alle PUNTARELLE e CASTAGNE
Thank you!
Hah! I totally agree with your statement that bacon is one of the essential building blocks of all organic life. Preach on, Brother! I’m hard pressed to find a recipe where the addition of bacon fails to improve it. Well done with this soup. We’re into soup-for-lunch season here, and I’m always looking for new ideas. Perhaps a black bean soup will show up on our table soon…with plenty of bacon.
David @ Spiced recently posted…Southern Cheese Straws
😉
It’s been so long since I’ve made black bean soup! I appreciate your recipe so much for the good use of bacon fat and also the addition of potato. I’ve never put potato in it, but that sounds like it should always be included in black bean soup! Nice recipe! (and the whole menu sounds pretty darn amazing too!)
Laura recently posted…Smoky Sweet Potato Butternut Soup (Vegan!)
Thank you, Laura!
Hmmm, sounds yummy and I think I have some in the pantry!
Tomorrow it´ll be onion cake, hopefully with my friend Wolfgang. He´s 80 and not allowed to visit his wife in hospital thanks to Corona.
Wish me luck the cake will be good at least…
Iris Flavia recently posted…Don´t Waste Your Life
Onion cake? That sounds interesting!
We love meat but don’t eat a lot of it either — a little really goes a long way. Pork fat goes really well with beans. Bacon fat probably best of all, but lard is also magic. Good stuff– thanks.
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Cranberry Walnut Bread
Thanks, John!
I bought some ochre some years ago, for a photoshoot, I literally gagged when I cut into it. Definitely not for me either.
Your meal looks fantastic, comforting and warming. Sounds like a perfect dish for my casual outdoor entertaining this winter.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Fruit and Seed Crackers (subheading: Not this Year)
Thanks, Eva!
I like it! I think I will try it in a vegetarian version, with vegetables stock and no bacon fat, and I will replace the cotija cheese with feta, because unfortunately I can’t find it in France! Have a great afternoon!
Not parisienne recently posted…Qu’est-ce qu’on mange en décembre?
I’m sure it will be delicious!
My first thought when I saw the photo of this bean soup was that I hoped to find bacon in the recipe. 🙂 Really an outstanding menu — all around. I would love it tonight — one of the first cold weather days in LA in a couple of weeks.
It will make you feel better about the cold weather!
My kind of dinner Jeff. I love Sopa de frijol negro, but I’ve not made it with potatoes. Good idea and oh yes, with bacon fat and chicken stock thank you. But, what really catches my taste buds is your Mexican Green Rice with Spinach. I’ve got to try that one soon. Okra, I love it cooked any way but deep fried with a cornmeal batter is my fav…
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Thanks, Ron!
I just love black bean soup. With such deep, rich flavor, black beans put other legumes to shame, if you ask me. And that’s even without the bacon, but of course cured pork always takes things to another level.
Frank recently posted…Cardi fritti (Batter-fried Cardoons)
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The whole menu sounds really good. I’ll try adding potato the next time I make black beans, it sounds like a good addition.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…The Magical Spirit Of Christmas
I loved it … but then, I’m a pretty big fan of potato.
What a wonderful menu! Your hearty, flavorful black bean soup is really calling my name—seems like we’ll be having soup weather this week!
Thanks, Liz!
I haven’t made a black bean soup in ages Jeff. This is definitely one that Lynne and I would enjoy at this time of year. Especially with all the wet and cold weather we’re currently experiencing!
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Stay warm and dry, Neil!
I’m inspired to make this because you added Cotija cheese on top! I have some I need to use and love all things with beans!! Looks fabulous!
Oh I hope you do! Delicious!