Friday, October 22, 2010

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Chipotle and Sausage

It is cold and damp outside, fall has come and it is here too stay. Leaves falling everywhere, and the winter storm damage of last year is still being repaired, here.

It was a busy summer for me, soaking up all the rays of sunshine I could find, doing my storm claim, getting quotes and contractors and finally the work has begun. The house got painted, the garage doors were replaced, the back door is almost finished...the electric box still needs to be repaired. Broken tree limbs were cut down and made into firewood for what I believe will be another record cold winter with lots more snow.

So....today, I started my first pot of homemade soup. I try to make 3 or 4 for the winter months storing the extra in smaller containers in my freezer. Today's soup is my version of Mexican Black Been soup. Here is the general recipe...feel free to add in other things which will interest your tastebuds.

1. one bag of dried black beans soaked overnight in six cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours with one large dried chipotle pepper,seeds removed. Drain.

2. one large onion and 3 cloves of garlic and half of a large carrot, chopped...and sauteed in olive oil, until lightly browned. Remove and put aside.

3. brown 1-1/2 lbs of sausage lightly in olive oil. use any combination or all, smoke sausage, andouli, chiorizio.... set aside.

4. when bean are cooked......drain taking the dried pepper and cutting it. put drained beans, pepper onions, garlic, carrot mix in large stock pot, with the cooked sausages. Add 64ozs. of chicken stock plus 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Bring to a boil...and then simmer. Add the following spices to taste:1 tsp cumin, 1tsp mexican oregano, 2 tbsp cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice, sea salt and ground black pepper. And if you like very spicy a chopped jalepeno or two. Simmer for an hour or two...

5. Let soup cool. Remove sausages and cut into bite sized pieces....put aside. Puree beans and soup broth in a food processor. Put puree back into pot, and add sausage pieces, Stir til blended.

6. Serve soup with garnish of chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped jalepenos and sour cream....YUMMMMMMMMM.

Hope you enjoy........

Smiles to you all,
DC