Black Bean & Chipotle Soup
The recipe hinted that one chipotle pepper would be enough but this black bean soup could have used at least two. My grocer carried no less than six brands of canned chipotles in adobo sauce, a thick and spicy tomato purée that accents the natural smokiness of the chiles. I made my choice based on a label that appears to depict the cartoon head of Frida Kahlo emerging from a pile of giant raisins.
Black Bean & Chipotle Soup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 2 cups peeled and diced carrots
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3 cups cooked black beans (two 15-ounce cans, undrained)
- 1/2 dried chipotle pepper or 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 cups chopped fresh or undrained canned tomatoes (14-ounce can)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- sour cream (optional)
- chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- Warm the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the carrots and cumin and cook on medium heat, stirring often, for a few minutes.
- Add the celery and bell pepper, lower the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes
- Add the beans, chipotle, tomatoes, orange juice and water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If not using canned beans, add 1/2 cup of bean-cooking liquid or additional water.)
- If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.