Cuban Black Bean Soup

By á-100232

Thick, rich, and creamy bean soup with an amazing depth of flavors. A secret ingredient makes this the richest bean soup you have ever tasted

Ingredients

• To garnish:
• 1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 ham bone or smoked ham hock
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt to taste (go light smoked ham brings salt)
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• Sour cream
• Chopped raw onion
• Chopped red pepper
• Diced avocado
• Fresh cilantro

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 300mins
Adapted from jamesandeverett.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place beans in a colander and rinse well. Remove any rocks, broken, or shriveled beans. Place the beans in a 4 to 5 quart pot with a lid and fill with water so the beans are covered by a couple of inches. Allow to soak overnight.

When ready to prepare, drain the beans and refill the pot with fresh water so that they are covered by about one inch of water. Add everything except the vinegar. Bring to a boil and skim off any white foam if present. Cover and reduce to low and simmer for 4 to 5 hours stirring occasionally. Check the soup after a couple of hours to make sure there is enough liquid. Add water a cup at a time if needed. Simmer the covered soup until the beans start to break down and create a creamy smooth liquid that will coat the back of a spoon.

To finish the soup, stir in the vinegar and simmer uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the ham bone from the soup and pull any remaining meat from the bone and add it back in to the pot.

Top the soup with a dollop of sour cream, onion, pepper, and avocado and cilantro if desired. Serve with a side of cornbread and some fried pineapple or plantain.