Recipe - Black Bean Soup With Cumin - Brody

1 cup Black beans; soaked
7 cup Broth; (chicken, beef, or
vegetable)
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 lg Onion; minced (1 cup)
1 lg Clove garlic; minced
One fourth cup Celery; minced
One half cup Carrots; finely minced
Three fourths teaspoon Crushed cumin seed; or to
taste
One fourth teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
One fourth teaspoon Salt; if desired
1 Chopped hardboiled egg or
egg white

The cumin gives this black bean soup a distinctive and, my tasters said,
appealing flavor. Preparation tip: For peak flavor, I use whole toasted
cumin seed crushed in a mortar with a pestle. You may also use ground
cumin. This soup freezes well (before the garnish is added). ... This soup
could also be used as the main dish of a light meal, perhaps topped with a
generous dollop of plain lowfat yogurt.

1. To soak the beans, place the washed beans in a bowl, cover them with
cold water, and let them soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. _Or_ place
the washed beans in a saucepan, add 4 cups water, bring the beans to a
boil, boil them for 2 minutes, turn off the heat, and let the beans stand
for 1 hour.

2. Drain the soaked beans, add the broth, bring the beans to a boil, reduce
the heat to low, and simmer the beans, partially covering the pan, for 2 to
3 hours or until the beans are thoroughly cooked.

3. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil, add the onion and garlic, and cook
them, stirring, over a low heat, until they are transparent. Add the celery
and carrots and cook the mixture, stirring, for a few minutes longer. Add
the vegetables to the beans.

4. Season soup with cumin, pepper, and salt, if desired, and simmer the
soup for another 30 minutes.

5. Puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or food mill. Serve the
soup hot, garnished with chopped egg and minced scallions.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Posted by Kyosho Connick. Courtesy of Fred Peters, converted by MC_Buster
and Badams.

Recipe by: Jane Brody's Good Food Book

Posted to recipeludigest by Badams adamsfmle@sprintmail.com on Feb 25,
1998