Tomato soup is our standard cold weather lunch fare on the weekends. Sometimes, it comes out of a can. But, as often as possible, we make a variation on tomato soup from scratch. Experimenting with different flavors and ingredients feeds our creative nature along with feeding our souls and bodies.
Eric has always been a fan of black bean soups. (I was much slower to accept any kind of bean, in any form!) Eventually, Eric won me over. Not only do I now eat foods with a variety of beans in them, I actually enjoy some of them! The one exception is (still) lima beans. I have yet to acquire a taste for that kind of bean. But, if anyone has an incredibly good lima bean recipe that they are sure would convert the non-lima bean eaters amongst us, send it along to me. I’m sure Eric would try it! Until then, this Black Bean & Tomato soup is keeping us nourished this bitter cold week!
Black Bean & Tomato Soup
Black Bean & Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream (adapted from cookinglight.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 14 ounces chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- lime wedges and additional cilantro, for serving
Doing the prep work first conserves time.
Preparation:
Cook the pancetta in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat until crisp.
Cook the pancetta.
Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 teaspoon of the drippings in the pan. Set the pancetta aside.
Set the crisped pancetta aside.
Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the celery is tender.
Cook the onion and celery.
Stir in 3/4 teaspoon cumin, the chile powder, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
Add some cumin, the chile powder, and garlic to the veggies.
Stir in the pancetta, pepper, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
Stir in the pancetta, pepper, beans, tomatoes, and broth.
Using a wand blender, blend the soup until it is smooth. Keep the soup warm while preparing the Cilantro-Lime Cream.
Blend the soup until it is smooth.
Combine the sour cream, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, cilantro, lime zest, and juice in a small bowl.
Combine the ingredients for the cilantro-lime cream
Serve the soup with the cream, lime wedges, and additional cilantro.
Serve with the cream, line wedges, and additional cilantro.
Black beans are a wonderful addition to homemade tomato soup! ~Linda
Black Bean & Tomato Soup with Cilantro-Lime Cream (adapted from cookinglight.com) Total Time Required: 45 minutes, Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 14 ounces chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- lime wedges and additional cilantro, for serving
Preparation:
Cook the pancetta in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 teaspoon of the drippings in the pan. Set the pancetta aside.
Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the celery is tender. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon cumin, the chile powder, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the pancetta, pepper, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Using a wand blender, blend the soup until it is smooth. Keep the soup warm while preparing the Cilantro-Lime Cream.
Combine the sour cream, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, cilantro, lime zest, and juice in a small bowl. Serve the soup with the cream, lime wedges, and additional cilantro.