I recently had a craving for a thick and hearty black bean soup. After wandering the aisles of the grocery store without finding anything that was prepared, I pulled out my phone and realized that making it from scratch would be super easy. This black bean soup is loaded with pork products: pork belly for the fat base, and prosciutto and chorizo for flavor. Sorry vegetarians! Another great recipe inspired by Dave Lieberman. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb pork belly, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- dash balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine (for deglazing)
- 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 chorizo sausage, cooked and diced
- 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional for the haters)
Preparation
Put the pork belly into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cooking wine to deglaze the pot. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, balsamic, and chipotle powder. Stir in the beans, prosciutto, and diced chorizo. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. After the soup has been simmering for 10 minutes, stir in the cilantro, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve over white rice and accompany with the Columbia 1905 salad.
