Black Bean Soup

Name: Black Bean Soup
Ingredients: 1/3 cup of AVW Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more to drizzle at serving; 2 whole bay leaves; 1 medium onion, minced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 15-ounce cans of black beans. Reserve bean “water” from 1 can.; 1 cup of beef broth or stock; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper; 2 tablespoon Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar; 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, very thinly sliced; ¼ cup of 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar; For Garnish: fresh cilantro, vinegared jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, Cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

February 09, 2024By American Vinegar Works

Easy, flavorful, and a fantastic foundation to then make this black bean soup your own.

This soup feels creamy, with a mousse-like texture without having any dairy or creams in the soup. Bonus points for being bean-dense healthy.

A fun way to serve this soup is to plate the soup itself but set out a toppings station for guests where everyone can then top the soup to their own taste. Think cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc. And definitely our thin-sliced vinegared jalapenos (recipe follows).

This recipe features our California Olive Oil, Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar, and 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

1/3 cup of AVW Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more to drizzle at serving
2 whole bay leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 15-ounce cans of black beans. Reserve bean “water” from 1 can.
1 cup of beef broth or stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 tablespoon Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, very thinly sliced
¼ cup of 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar
For Garnish: fresh cilantro, vinegared jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, Cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

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Directions

Add olive oil and bay leaves to medium pot over medium flame and let the oil heat but not smoke.
Add minced onions to pot and stir. Cook onions until translucent but before they brown.
Add minced garlic to pot and stir.
Remove the bay leaves. You will be blending the soup so you want to get these out. You can try to do it before blending as well but it is harder to track them down in the dark pot of beans.
Drain 2 of your 3 cans of beans.
Add all the beans, including the bean water in the reserved 3rd can to your pot and stir.
Add beef stock, salt, chipotle, and cumin. Stir. Note that the chipotle is adding more smoke and savory than heat at this quantity. You can add true heat to the soup after cooking, as a topping.
Cook on low about 10 or 15 minutes. You are looking to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavor.
While the soup cooks, very thinly slice a fresh jalapeno and let it soak in a small bowl with the 19.53 ACV. I like to first microwave the vinegar for 10 or 15 second and then add the jalapenos. It allows the flavor to sink in faster. But it does cook the vinegar. If you prefer to leave it raw you just need a longer soaking period. Make this your first recipe step if you are not heating the vinegar. The reason we are using this vinegar in particular is that it has a slight sweetness which will produce quick pickled jalapeno slices that are a little hot, sour, and sweet with the slight crunch of the raw pepper.
Once the soup starts to thicken slightly (a cross between soup and stew) it is time to add the Rice Wine Vinegar and blend it. You can use an immersion blender or, ideally, a more powerful blender like a Vitamix.
Blend aggressively until completely smooth. You will find that the bean water and the thickened broth create a mousse like, velvety soup when very well blended. If you find it too dry after blending add a bit of stock and blend again. Don’t worry too much if it is a bit loose. It will continue to thicken on reheating and over time.
Plating: Black beans naturally produce a black-colored sauce which by itself is not very inspiring. BUT it is a fantastic (tasty) canvas to then add toppings to that make the black contrast pop. At a minimum you should add a few slices of the vinegared jalapenos, fresh cilantro, and a touch of sour cream or Cotija cheese on as toppings. Finish off with a light drizzle of our California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Recipe Note

Serving Option: This soup lends itself well to a more fun assembly station when you have guests or a nibbling station. Plate the soup in individual bowls but have a small station of addons that your guests can top the soup with. Topping ideas include: vinegared jalapenos, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, cotija cheese, avocado slices, minced onions, and minced tomatoes.

Note On Salt: We are adding a relatively small amount of salt to this recipe. This is because you are using ingredients that often have salt (e.g. canned beans, Cotija cheese, tortilla chips, etc) and also because acid from the two vinegars decreases the need for salt. I would recommend adjusting for salt at the bowl serving level after you have assembled your soup serving so as not to over salt.

Bean Dip Instead of Soup: This recipe is also a fantastic recipe for a black bean drip. Follow all the same basic steps but cook away more of the broth to create a denser dip at blending. Definitely top with the vinegared jalapenos at least.

Note on handling peppers: Be sure to wash your hands carefully after handling the jalapeno. You can also use a small piece of plastic wrap to hold down the pepper while you slice it so that you don’t get the oils on your fingers and just transfer them to the bowl with the edge of your knife.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe Note

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