Black Bean Soup with Chilies

Instead of canned beans, you can soak dried black beans overnight and then cook for 2 to 3 hours or until tender. It’s important to adjust the type of chilies to your personal taste. Serrano and Scotch bonnets are among the hottest.

Serves: 4Hands-on: 20 minutesTotal: 1 hour 20 minutesDifficulty: Easy

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 strips bacon
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 small hot chilies, seeded and minced
  • 2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 oz. beef broth
  • 1⁄2 cup tomato juice
  • 2 oz. dark rum
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. sour cream

Directions

  • In a large pot, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper-towel–lined plate and leave the bacon fat in the pot. Crumble bacon and return to pot. Add garlic, onion, and chilies to the pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the black beans, beef broth, tomato juice, rum, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
  • Purée the soup until smooth in a blender or with a hand-held blender. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.