Recipe: Cuban Black Bean Soup

By Joe Bender

I’ve always loved this combination of earthy beans, deep umami from the mushrooms or pork — or the baco-bits we used to use when I was a vegetarian kid — cloves and sherry. It’s an inexpensive and satisfying meal, simple to make and incredibly filling. Make it vegetarian by using mushrooms or meaty with salt pork or pork belly.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups dry black beans 

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 large ribs celery, diced 

• 2 bay leaves

• For the vegan version: any combination of dried or fresh mushrooms, approximately 2 cups fresh portobello, crimini and/or shiitake coarsely chopped; or approximately 1 cup (when rehydrated) soaked and coarsely chopped dried shiitakes or any wild mushrooms 

• For the meaty version: 1⁄3 lb chunk of salt pork, pork belly or slices of bacon; or a smoked ham hock (a hock is especially good in the pressure cooker)

• 5 cloves

• Smoked paprika

• 1-2 tablespoons sherry, to taste

• Sour cream and lime wedges to serve

Directions:

Rinse and soak the beans in cold water for at least 3 hours or overnight. Or you can cover them with plenty of cold water in a pot, bring them to a boil, then turn off and let soak for an hour. This recipe also works great in a pressure cooker, in which case there’s no need to soak the beans. 

If using mushrooms, soak any dried mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes, remove them from the water and chop them coarsely. Save the liquid, it’s full of flavor. Heat a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients and sauté the soaked or fresh mushrooms in a little oil over high heat, stirring frequently. If using meat, brown well on all sides. 

Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, cloves and beans, plus smoked paprika and salt to taste. Cover with ample water or broth (the beans absorb a lot) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until beans are quite soft, an hour or more depending on your beans. When the beans are well-cooked, remove the bay leaves and any bones (from the meat, if used). 

Then transfer the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot), and blend until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and thin with water to your preference. Add sherry a tablespoon at a time until it’s as boozy as you like it. Adjust seasoning and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime.