Black Bean Soup
There’s something special about bean and ham soup. The beans cook up tender, but with bite, and the earthy cumin and rich ham add depth to the whole dish. Don’t skip the crème fraîche and green onions, which give the whole thing a bright, tangy flavor. Although this recipe simmers for a few hours, it’s quite simple to prepare. Make it for Sunday supper and save the rest for quick weeknight meals.
Best of Byerly's Cookbook
Best of Byerly's Cookbook
Recipe - EDEN PRAIRIE
Black Bean Soup
Prep Time20 Minutes
Servings8
Cook Time150 Minutes
Ingredients
24 ounces dried black beans, rinsed and picked through
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced yellow onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ham shank
12 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
â…› teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
4 carrots, peeled and diced
Crème fraîche, for garnish
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Directions
- Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with 2 inches of water, and soak overnight.
- Drain the beans.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the soaked beans, ham shank, chicken broth, cumin, basil, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the beans are very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Remove the ham shank and let it cool for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and discard the bone.
- Return the shredded meat to the Dutch oven.
- Stir in the bell pepper, brown sugar, and carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crème fraîche and sliced green onions.
- The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or it can be stored in quart-sized freezer bags and frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove one portion of soup from the bag and place it in a large pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.
20 minutes
Prep Time
150 minutes
Cook Time
8
Servings
Shop Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
L&B Dry Black Beans, 1 Pound
$2.19$2.19/lb
L&B Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 16.9 Ounce
$12.99$0.77/oz
Yellow Onions, 0.5 Pound
Huge Deal
$0.80 avg/ea was $1.15 avg/ea$1.59/lb
Fresh Garlic Bulb, 0.2 Pound
$1.40 avg/ea$6.99/lb
Frick's Quality Meats Hardwood Smoked Ham Shank, 1.25 Pound
$8.74 avg/ea$6.99/lb
L&B Organic Chicken Broth, 32 Ounce
Deal
$3.99 was $4.59$0.12/oz
L&B Ground Cumin, 1.7 Ounce
$6.49$3.82/oz
L&B Sweet Mediterranean Basil, 0.6 Ounce
$5.99$9.98/oz
Morton Coarse Kosher Salt, 3 Pound
$5.99$2.00/lb
L&B Coarse Ground Black Pepper, 2 Ounce
$8.19$4.10/oz
L&B Cayenne Spice Ground Chile Pepper, 2.1 Ounce
$6.19$2.95/oz
Premium Red Bell Peppers, 0.5 Pound
$2.50 avg/ea$4.99/lb
Crystal Sugar Dark Brown Sugar, 2 Pound
$3.79$1.90/lb
Fresh Whole Carrots Bagged, 2 Pound
$2.49$1.25/lb
Alouette Creme Fraiche, 7 Ounce
$7.99$1.14/oz
Green Onions Bunched, 1 Each
$1.49
Directions
- Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with 2 inches of water, and soak overnight.
- Drain the beans.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the soaked beans, ham shank, chicken broth, cumin, basil, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the beans are very tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Remove the ham shank and let it cool for 5 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone, shred it into bite-sized pieces, and discard the bone.
- Return the shredded meat to the Dutch oven.
- Stir in the bell pepper, brown sugar, and carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crème fraîche and sliced green onions.
- The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or it can be stored in quart-sized freezer bags and frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove one portion of soup from the bag and place it in a large pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.