Black Bean Soup Over Rice
This is a new favorite in our home and is simple to make. I found this recipe in a book by Pamela M. Smith, R.D., which is out of print. I lost the book several years ago and recently found it online at a used book store.
This is a new favorite in our home and is simple to make. I found this recipe in a book by Pamela M. Smith, R.D., which is out of print. I lost the book several years ago and recently found it online at a used book store.
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- 1 sm red onion diced
- 4 cups black beans if canned, rinse and drain
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (i don't use like cumin, so i don't use it)
- 2 cups brown rice cooked (takes about 50 minutes)
- 3 limes halved
- 1 cilantro leaf for garnish (optional)
- Carbohydrate 258.831922777452 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.54132981751231 g
- Fiber 79.0866761769423 g
- Protein 82.817075555508 g
- Saturated Fat 1.71118544207983 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1052g)
- Sodium 131.836758207328 mg
- Sugar 179.74524660051 g
- Trans Fat 1.29301227956491 g
- Calories 1403 calories
Step-by-step
- Spray a nonstick pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic; sauté until translucent.
- Add the chicken stock, 2 1/2 cups of the cooked black beans and the creole seasoning.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook until the amount is reduced by a third; puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- (You may refrigerate this for serving later. Then reheat the bean puree; if necessary, thin the puree with additional chicken stock to make it smooth.)
- When serving, place 1/3 cup of the cooked brown rice in each bowl.
- Top with 1/4 cup of the reserved whole black beans (heated).
- Add 1 cup heated bean puree.
- Squeeze 1/2 lime over each bowl.
- Garnish with a cilantro leaf, if desired.
Combining pureed legumes with whole grains relies on starch gelatinization to create body without the addition of heavy dairy or flour thickeners. When simmering the broth and black bean mixture until the volume drops by precisely one third, water evaporates while starches concentrate, which ensures that the subsequent trip through the blender produces a velvety emulsion rather than a watery slurry. This method of building body through reduction is foundational across Latin American and Caribbean bean preparations, where purées often serve as rich sauces rather than thin liquids.
Managing Texture and Substitutions
Adjusting the aromatics alters the final mouthfeel significantly. Dicing the red onion to uniform quarter-inch pieces guarantees even translucency during the four-minute sauté window, preventing raw crunch in the finished soup. While creole seasoning introduces a balanced blend of salt, paprika, and capsicum heat, salt-free herb blends require an additional half teaspoon of kosher salt to properly draw out moisture from the alliums. Furthermore, omitting ground cumin eliminates the signature earthy bitterness of traditional chili profiles, leaving a sweeter, more bean-forward flavor foreground.
- Refrigerate the unblended or blended bean base for up to three days in an airtight container before reheating.
- Thin overly thick purees gradually with warm chicken stock, adding two tablespoons at a time to monitor viscosity.
- Use a high-powered blender running on high for sixty seconds to achieve a completely smooth purée without graininess.
