Black Bean and Salsa Soup
This soup is one of those last minute things I tossed together one night. It's very simple and it takes about 5 minutes to put together.
This soup is one of those last minute things I tossed together one night. It's very simple and it takes about 5 minutes to put together.
- Carbohydrate 6.16494125310024 g
- Cholesterol 4.2046875 mg
- Fat 1.51906750008149 g
- Fiber 1.2891250159469 g
- Protein 1.50407125074188 g
- Saturated Fat 0.833578125015419 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (169g)
- Sodium 595.754812824412 mg
- Sugar 4.87581623715333 g
- Trans Fat 0.0800821249929666 g
- Calories 40 calories
Step-by-step
- In an electric food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth.
- Heat the bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated.
- Ladle soup into 4 individual bowls, and top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of the sour cream and 1/2 tablespoon green onion.
Home cooks frequently commit the error of omitting the draining and rinsing step for canned legumes, introducing excess canning liquid that dilutes flavor compounds and clouds the broth with unwanted starches. Rinsing canned black beans under cold running water removes the thick, mucilaginous packing liquid, ensuring that the vegetable broth and salsa maintain their distinct profiles when combined. Excess sodium clinging to the surface washes away during this rinse, giving the cook precise control over the final salinity of the dish.
Blending legumes with acidic salsas creates a purée relying on suspended solids for its body rather than traditional flour or starch thickeners. Operating a standard countertop blender at high speed shears the bean skins into microscopic fragments, trapping air and creating a velvety mouthfeel. Processing the mixture until smooth requires roughly 45 to 60 seconds depending on blade sharpness, but over-blending can incorporate too much oxygen and alter the perceived density on the palate.
Substitutions demand careful observation of water content and acidity levels when altering this formula. Trading vegetable broth for chicken stock introduces gelatin that alters the viscosity, while swapping chunky salsa for a smooth purée removes the punctuated bites of pepper and tomato. Maintaining the proper moisture balance prevents the purée from tightening excessively into a paste as thermal energy transfers from the burner during the heating phase.
Applying medium heat brings the puréed mixture to serving temperature within five to seven minutes without scorching the natural sugars present in the salsa. Stirring the saucepan continuously prevents localized hot spots from forming at the bottom where bean solids naturally settle. Garnishing with dairy introduces fat droplets that coat the tongue, cutting through the acidity of the salsa while contrasting against the warm temperature of the bowl.
