Smoky Black Bean Soup

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans (soaked overnight)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced (about a heaping 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 seeded and diced jalapeno
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chipotle paste
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few dashes of liquid smoke, to taste
• more hot water or stock to thin the soup
• cooked white rice
• guacamole
• fried tortillas
• pan-fried plantains
• sour cream

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Rinse beans and pick through, using your super vision to pick out any pebbles or stones. Place beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water 2-inches above the beans. Cover and allow to rest overnight (or for at least 6 hours). After soaking, drain in the beans and rinse in a colander.
2. 2To make the soup, in a large stock pot heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery and saute until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute for 3 minutes more.
3. 3Add the chipotle paste and cumin. Stir until thoroughly combined.
4. 4Add the soaked and drained beans. Add the chicken broth, coffee, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the beans are very well softened, about 1 hour. Remove from heat.
5. 5Use a hand blender to blend the soup to smooth. Add more hot water or stock as necessary to thin the soup. If you don’t have a hand blender, blend the soup in batches in a stand blender, being careful not to fill it too full. Add more water or stock to thin if necessary.
6. 6Season with salt and pepper. Stir in liquid smoke to taste. Serve warm with all sorts of toppings.