I have to be honest with you when I read about this black bean soup here I was skeptical about the preparation of the dried beans. In every textbook and cookbook that I have read dried beans are always soaked before cooking. And I must admit that I have had my share of trouble preparing dried kidney beans to the point that I will not prepare them in a slow cooker. After some research I have found that dried kidney beans react with acid in tomatoes and will not soften even after cooking for days. However this apparently does not apply to other beans.
This is the most flavorful Black Bean Soup that I have ever had. Hands down! So much so that I have prepared it twice in the last two weeks. What make it even better is that there is very little preparation. The soup is ready in three and half hours. Yes!! It is the truth.
My slow cooker is a 6 quart Rival. It cooks faster than my older version. Adjust the cooking time according to your slow cooker. But by all means try this recipe because it is so good that you will want to eat all of it at once. Save some for the next day, it is even better after refrigeration. Remember that I was a non-believer at first! The black beans need no soaking.
Dice 2 red onions.
Saute onion and peppers
After peppers and onions have cooked for about 8 minutes add garlic and cumin.
Rinse 1 pound of dried black beans. Throw it all in a slow cooker and add 7 cups of hot water. Cook on high for about 3 hours or longer. Here is the soup and the recipe.
Black Bean Soup with Chipotle and Toasted Cumin Sour Cream
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen ( Bon Appetit)
Yields 6 main course servings
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium red onions, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 16-ounce package dried black beans
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chipotle chiles ( I used 2 for a bigger kick) if packed in a sauce just rinse and then chop
- 7 cups of hot water
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and saute until beginning to brown, about eight minutes. Add garlic and cumin: stir one minute. Transfer mixture to a 6-qt slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on hgi until beans are very tender, about 3 hours. ( Can vary according to your slow cooker)
Transfer two cups bean mixture to bowl and puree with an immersion blender or a blender. Return the puree to the slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper . Ladle soup into bowl. Spoon dollop of toasted cumin cream over the soup.
Toasted Cumin Seed Sour Cream
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 cup of sour cream
Place the cumin in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until coarse. Stir into cream and season with salt and pepper.
These are absolutely the best pancakes that I have ever made. The tangy taste of the pancake with the honey and butter is perfect! 
Add the liquids to the dry ingredients. Be careful not to overmix. Just whisk until the dry ingredients are moist. The small dry lumps will disappear as the pancakes cook. 
I hope that you enjoy the recipe. 
It is way beyond me that something this easy is so good! And for the life of me I should not keep any of these ingredients on hand. I honestly could eat the entire pan by myself and almost did last night but GI Joe saved the day and he ate the other half!
If you are in a hurry and are craving homemade bread this recipe is for you! The Athlete loves these drop biscuits and and have been known to put them together at the last minute because I saw a look of disappointment on his face. They only take about 10 minutes to put together so it is hard to say no. So just get in the kitchen and whip these little drops of cheesey goodness into shape and wait for the compliments to come your way! Recipe and how to photographs can be found at the end of the post. 
