Description
Ina Garten’s black bean soup brings hearty southwestern flavors to your table with minimal effort. Rich ingredients blend smoothly, delivering complex layers of smoky and spicy notes you will savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cans (15 oz or 425 g) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ½ tsps ground cumin
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (use ¼ tsp if sensitive to spice)
- ¼ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1 to 2 tsps (5 to 10 ml) sherry vinegar or 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lime juice
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté Base: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots, seasoned with salt. Cook until vegetables soften and become translucent, about 10-15 minutes.
- Spice Infusion: Stir in garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Toast spices for 30 seconds to release their aromatic essence and deepen the flavor profile.
- Liquid Integration: Pour black beans and vegetable broth into the pot. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, allowing beans to become tender and absorb the rich, developing flavors.
- Texture Enhancement: Remove 4 cups of soup and blend until smooth and creamy. Reincorporate the puréed mixture back into the pot, stirring to create a velvety consistency.
- Finishing Touch: Stir in fresh cilantro, vinegar or lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve steaming hot, garnished with sliced avocado or crispy tortilla chips for added texture and visual appeal.
Notes
- Soften Vegetables Slowly: Take time to sauté vegetables on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, allowing them to become translucent and develop a rich, deep flavor foundation.
- Bloom Spices Carefully: Toast cumin and red pepper flakes for exactly 30 seconds to release their essential oils and maximize aromatic intensity without burning.
- Blend Strategically: Remove 4 cups of soup and puree until smooth to create a creamy, luxurious texture that transforms the soup’s consistency and mouthfeel.
- Balance Final Flavors: Add cilantro, vinegar or lime juice at the end to brighten the soup’s profile and create a complex, vibrant taste that cuts through the richness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg