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© 2003-2010 Jennifer Iserloh
Three hours is usually enough time for soaking the beans but you can boil them in water if you are in a hurry. I read in Mexican cookbooks that they never soak their beans – do so at your own risk!
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup of dried black beans, soaked 3-8 hours in cold water with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 quarts low-fat, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 small red onion, about a cup chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons sweet chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon canola or olive oil
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Drain beans and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
In a large stockpot, heat the oil, over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté the red onion until it becomes translucent and soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add cumin, chili, cayenne, and garlic. Continue to cook 2-3 minutes until the spices release their aroma. Increase the heat to high and add the drained beans and 1 1/2 quart of the chicken or vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until beans are tender and have started to break apart (1-1 1/2 hours). If you want a thicker soup, simmer an additional hour or puree in a blender or food processor. Add additional broth if the mixture becomes too thick. Before serving, season with salt, lime juice, and zest.
Make It A Meal
Serve with Chipotle Orange Shrimp
I just made this and it was delicious and really easy. I had actually never cooked beans from scratch before. One problem though — the skins of my beans were tough and chewy, even as the insides were cooked. Any recommendations?
Otherwise it was great! Thanks!
Super, glad you liked the recipe. Sometimes salt can toughen the skins of beans- you can can cooking them first for an hour or so in water, draining and then adding in the chicken broth that already contains salt.
On a separate, glad that you are adding beans to your diet or learning to cook them from scratch! I’m sure you’ve heard all the talk about getting extra fiber, right? Just 1 cup has 12 grams- awesome when you consider that they recommend 30-38 grams of fiber a day for men.
We are having this recipe tonight. I am excited to try it. I soak my own beans quite a lot, mostly because it is so much cheaper and lower in salt when you do. I have never used baking soda when soaking them. Why do you say to? Does it help in some way? Thanks!
Hi Nicole,
Soaking beans in plain water definitely helps them to be less “gassy” down the road of you know what I mean, and I have heard that the baking soda aids in that process although there no scientific proof. You may leave it out of course, but while they soak check out this amazing article by my favorite food chemist.
I cook my beans overnight in my slow cooker on low. They come out perfect everytime! Thanks for the great recipe Jennifer!
Thanks Jennifer- great tip