Smoky Black Bean Soup:
Have you always thought to pre-soak dried beans? Us too! However, we were surprised to see a section in the newspaper labeled, “The Myth behind pre-soaking beans.” Because we’ve always thought dried beans must be soaked, we thought we’d take a stab at it to see if it’s really true! We created this chipotle black bean soup without pre-soaking the dried beans. And we were amazed– it turned out absolutely perfect—it was delicious! The beans were nice and soft, and added a nice chunky consistency to the soup. No pre- soaking needed! Dig in to this bowl of heaven ;)!
Smoky Black Bean Soup:
Serves 6; Serving Size: 1 c.
Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans
7 ½ c. water
2 dried chipotle chili
1 c. chopped onions
4 cloves garlic
2 small bay leafs
Directions:
- Pre- heat the oven to 365 oF
- Add black beans, water, the dried chipotle chili, onions, garlic, and the bay leaf in a large oven proof pot.
- Place the pot on the stove on medium heat. Once, ingredients are brought to a simmer, place the cover on the pan and put it in the oven.
- Cook in the oven for 1 hour. After an hour, add freshly ground pepper and (optional) salt, enough to taste. Then, place the cover back on the pot and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 1 hour 30 minutes (total) of baking in the oven, remove the pot and place it on the stove. Using a long, large spoon, remove the chipotle chili, and bay leaves.
- Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the beans enough to make a creamy, but still chunky mixture.
- Turn the heat on and bring the soup to a simmer. If mixture begins to thicken, add and stir in small amounts of water at a time.
- Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream, and shaved parmesan. We also recommend serving it with our veggie and quinoa dishes like our Spiced Ginger Citrus Quinoa or our Tomato Quinoa Tabbouleh or our Quinoa, Kale Superfood Bowl! Enjoy!
*This recipe is great for making days in advance or saving for leftovers. If soup becomes thick after being stored in the refrigerator, place the soup in a heated sauce pan and stir in a small amount of water until desired is reached…
Nutrition Facts (per serving): 176 Calories, 1g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 33g Carbohydrate, Protein 11g, 8g Fiber, 4mg Sodium, 0mg Cholesterol
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 7 ½ c. water
- 2 dried chipotle chili
- 1 c. chopped onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 small bay leafs
- Pre- heat the oven to 365 F
- Add black beans, water, the dried chipotle chili, onions, garlic, and the bay leaf in a large oven proof pot.
- Place the pot on the stove on medium heat. Once, ingredients are brought to a simmer, place the cover on the pan and put it in the oven.
- Cook in the oven for 1 hour. After an hour, add freshly ground pepper and (optional) salt, enough to taste. Then, place the cover back on the pot and put it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 1 hour 30 minutes (total) of baking in the oven, remove the pot and place it on the stove. Using a long, large spoon, remove the chipotle chili, and bay leaves.
- Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the beans enough to make a creamy, but still chunky mixture.
- Turn the heat on and bring the soup to a simmer. If mixture begins to thicken, add and stir in small amounts of water at a time.
- Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream, and shaved parmesan. Enjoy!