Cuban Black Bean Soup

Name: Cuban Black Bean Soup
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 2 bay leaves; 1 pound dried black beans; 12 ½ cups water, divided; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 3 ½ cups chopped green bell pepper (about 3 medium); 2 ½ cups coarsely chopped onion; ⅓ cup chopped shallots (about 2 small); 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 2 tablespoons dried oregano; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano; 1 ½ tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 2 cups diced peeled avocado; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 cups thinly sliced red onion; 1 ½ cups chopped 33%-less-sodium smoked, fully cooked ham; 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 cup light sour cream; 10 teaspoons unsalted pumpkinseed kernels, toasted; ⅓ cup finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (about 2 medium); Lime wedges (optional)

9 Ratings
8 Reviews

Inspired by his Cuban mother's black bean soup, Chef Douglas Rodriguez of DeLaCosta restaurant in Chicago developed the robust flavor in this recipe for people who didn't have money to spend on meat for stock. Here we use both fresh and dried oregano because each imparts a different flavor to the final dish.

By Barbara Kafka

Recipe by Cooking Light January 2008

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Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner-Jan Gautro

Recipe Summary

Yield:

10 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Place bay leaves and beans in a Dutch oven. Add 12 cups water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until tender, stirring occasionally.

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Step 2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, chopped onion, and shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and fresh oregano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a blender; add remaining 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth.
Step 3
Add vegetable mixture, sugar, and salt to beans; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Ladle 3/4 cup bean mixture into each of 10 bowls; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture, about 3 tablespoons red onion, 2 tablespoons ham, about 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 teaspoon pumpkinseed kernels, and about 1/2 teaspoon jalapeño pepper. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

344 calories; calories from fat 31%; fat 12g; saturated fat 3.4g; mono fat 5.7g; poly fat 2.3g; protein 18.6g; carbohydrates 43.9g; fiber 14.7g; cholesterol 14mg; iron 6.1mg; sodium 637mg; calcium 110mg.

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Vicuska

01/21/2014

The soup was just ok, and none of us was crazy about it. Despite the wide number of ingredients, and the use of chicken stock instead of water, the soup was still missing something.

pheimill

02/16/2012

this recipe not helping Cuban foods reputation, which is it's a little bland. also, this recipe not cheap to make, with all the special items.

Stephanie522

12/22/2011

Not my all time favorite recipe from this site but still pretty good. I do agree it is a little bland,however I know I like things saltier/spicier than average. I made exactly as is and added mexican blend cheese and a scoop of rice. It was tasty enough to me to not throw out but I'll definitely try to tweak it next time to get a little more kick!

gholden

03/20/2011

READ the recipe: 2 teaspoons of salt for 10 people!!! of course the soup is BLAND!!! This is a terrible recipe. Also, beans must be soaked before cooking. Do not bother making this soup.

ChefAmandaLynn

01/14/2011

I added an additional tablespoon of salt, otherwise it would have been too bland. I also do not care for most of the reccomned toppings so I served it with just cilantro and grated pepper jack cheese. I thought it was excellent.

mtalbott

04/04/2010

I love this dish, it is perfect for a lazy sunday night dinner. I do add mutigrain chips and monteray jack to the toppings and it is so yummy.

lindsayF

03/24/2009

This was great! My friend's baby kept signing "more" to keep getting a spoonful. I doctored up mine with jalapenos, cilantro, onions, ham, tomatoes and cheese, my one friend likes things plain and added ham and cheese, she was thankful it wasn't spicy. My other friend chose to go more vegetarian and liked it with cheese cilantro and onion. SOAK THE BEANS overnight before you even start. I have made it 100% the recipe before and it was great. This time, I did add chicken bullion and 2 cloves garlic to the 2 1/2 hour simmer. The bullion was an afterthought, I would just use some stock instead of all water next time. I added more cumin and some pepper, red pepper flakes, and ground coriander to the spice mix. Toppings are ingredients, not options, unless you like it plain. :) yum! Recommend the coconut banana bread with lime glaze for dessert!

MooAtU2

11/20/2008

To everyone who said it tasted bland without the toppings... that's the whole point! If you don't have the toppings, don't make the dish. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this. Next time, I won't make so much of it at once, though!

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Cuban Black Bean Soup

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (8)

All Reviews for Cuban Black Bean Soup

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Cuban Black Bean Soup

Gallery

Recipe Summary

Ingredients

Directions

Nutrition Facts

Reviews (8)

All Reviews for Cuban Black Bean Soup