Cookbook:Black Bean Soup with Tomato-Tomatillo Salsa

| American cuisine | Mexican cuisine | Vegetarian Cuisine | Beans | Soups

Soup

 * 1 pound dried black beans
 * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 * 2 large onions, finely diced
 * 4–6 cloves garlic, minced
 * 6 cups cold water
 * 1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (fresh or canned)
 * 1 small sprig fresh or dried epazote (optional)
 * 1 tablespoon finely-chopped canned chipotle chile (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste)
 * 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
 * 1 teaspoon ground coriander
 * 2 teaspoons salt

Salsa

 * 1 large tomato, finely diced
 * 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed and finely diced
 * 1 small red onion, very finely diced
 * 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, very finely diced
 * ¼ cup roughly-chopped fresh cilantro leaves
 * Salt, to taste
 * Crème fraîche or sour cream, for garnish

Soup

 * 1) Pick over the beans to remove any debris. Soak if desired and drain.
 * 2) In a deep, heavy-based pot, heat oil over medium heat.
 * 3) Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
 * 4) Add beans, garlic and water.
 * 5) Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
 * 6) Reduce to a simmer and when the beans are soft, after about 1 hour, add tomato, epazote, chipotle chile, cumin, coriander and salt.
 * 7) Cook until the beans start to break down and broth begins to thicken.
 * 8) Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper if needed.

Salsa

 * 1) In a small bowl, combine tomato, tomatillo, onion, jalapeño and cilantro.
 * 2) Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.

Serving

 * 1) Ladle soup into individual serving bowls.
 * 2) Garnish each with a spoonful of crème fraîche and salsa.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * If you're serving this soup immediately, you can thicken it by pureeing a cup or two of the beans in a blender or food processor and then recombining them with the rest of the soup. If refrigerated overnight, the soup will thicken on its own.
 * The salsa will taste best if assembled no more than an hour before serving.
 * Epazote is an herb that looks like a weed and is regularly used in Mexican cooking. If you can't find it, use an equal amount of cilantro.
 * Tomatillos look like rock hard tomatoes with papery skin. Look for them canned in the Hispanic section of your market, if you can't find fresh. They will be perfectly acceptable.
 * Crème fraîche is similar to sour cream, but richer. Look for it in the fancy cheese section.