Black bean soup


Black bean soup is a kind of seasoned soup in which black turtle beans are puréed enough that they are swimming in liquid and have a mouthfeel like cream soup, but not to the point of making the mixture sludgy. The velvety, aromatic broth is called sopa negra or caldo de frijol. A variation of the black bean recipe is to serve it as pot beans instead of soup; the leftovers from either will thicken and can then be mashed and cooked in oil or lard to make refried beans.
Black bean soup is a classic part of both American and Cuban cuisine. A simple black bean soup recipe can include as few as five ingredients, but other recipes are more elaborate. Part of the convenience of the soup is that the recipe is flexible enough that it can be made with available ingredients. The recipe can take as little as 20 minutes to make, or can take days, depending on the method.
Restaurants that have sold black bean soup have included Panera.

Preparation

Flavor can be added through ingredients such as marinated chipotle chiles, jalapeno peppers, roasted poblanos, salsa, or chile powder or ground cumin or ground coriander. Vinegar can be added to make the soup creamier and give it a tang; vinegar or lime juice can also be used to cut the beans' intensity. The soup can either be vegetarian or contain meat products. Other ingredients can include epazote, bay leaves, carrots, celery, chipotle sauce, onions, corn, green bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, thyme, or red wine. Like potatoes, the beans absorb salt and spice. The soup may be served with a side of rice, and garnished with sour cream, chopped red bell pepper, cilantro leaves, diced avocado, etc.
A pressure cooker is typically not used as this would give the beans more of a pudding-like consistency by forcing moisture upon them. A typical approach would be to cook the carrots, bay leaves, and salt, then to add the onion and garlic, then to add the cumin, cinnamon, beans, corn, tomatoes and broth, and boil and then simmer the mixture, before stirring in the hot sauce and cilantro.