My Mother’s Black Bean Soup

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This is a dish that was not only a tradition for Christmas Eve, but was also served as dinner with white rice and a salad. While some recipes call for some type of meat, my mother never put any meat in it and that’s the way I loved it the most. My wife loves the beans real thick and my father and I loved them on the soupy side.  If you like them on the thick side, cook them the day before and then refrigerate them and heat them up the next day. Some people soak their beans overnight. I soak mine in very hot water while I’m preparing the ingredients and then add the beans with the water. If you throw out the water in which the beans are soaking you will throw out a lot of the color and your bean soup will look grey.

MISE EN PLACE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Pound black beans, picked clean to remove any small rocks
  • 1 Large yellow onion (not sweet) diced
  • 1 Green pepper, diced
  • 6 Cloves of garlic peeled and minced
  • 4  Bay leaves
  • ½ Cup olive oil (or enough to just cover onions, peppers and garlic)
  • 1 Teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar
  • 3 Quarts of water (keep checking; you may need more)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Pick the black beans over to make sure there are no small pebbles or bad beans. Rinse beans and set aside. At this point you can soak them overnight or soak them in hot water for approximately 1/2 hour. I rarely soak mine.  Sauté vegetables in olive oil until translucent in a cast iron Dutch oven or large pot. Add beans and sauté for about one minute, stirring constantly. Add water, oregano, bay leaf, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Stir from time to time and check for water. Add more water if needed and correct for salt and pepper. Cook until beans are very tender. We eat it served over white rice. You can serve it as is if you prefer. Hard core black bean soup eaters will sprinkle some fresh chopped white onion on top of their dish. These are best served the next day. If they are too thick and you like them soupier, add a little more water and adjust salt and pepper if needed.