How to Make Rae's Black Bean Soup

I love beans I think they are one of natures most under utilized gifts to us.  Beans provide lots of fiber and fill us up and satisfy us all at the same time.  Personally I don't know why more people don't eat more beans.  They are certainly economical as well as healthy. 

Black beans have never really been my favorite but I wanted to find a way that I can enjoy them and since my lunch every usually consists of a homemade soup I decided that I would create my own black bean soup.  The salt pork I add gives the beans a lot of flavor and I thought I would share my recipe. 

This is not a low cal or low fat soup but it is a good high fiber soup. It also has ground beef in it which I know is unusual for a soup but the ground beef and the beans compliment each other and it makes for a very hardy soup.

Rae's Black Bean Soup

2 1/2 cup dried black beans

1/4 pound of lean salt pork

2 medium onions

3 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 pinch cayenne pepper

3/4 cup diced carrot.

17 cups of water

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Soak the beans for one hour in water (this water is not the water used for the recipe) after the hour is up drain the beans.

Give the salt pork a quick rinse and take a sharp knife to it cutting about 4 slashes in it.  Careful not to cut it all the way through just put some gashes in it.  Toss the salt pork in to a pot with the beans.

Dice the onions as small as desired and then add them to the pot as well.  Then add the bay leaf, cayenne pepper and diced carrots.  Then add the 17 cups of water and simmer the soup for 3 hours or until all the beans are mash-able.

About a half hour before the beans are done cooking brown the ground beef if it is a little undercooked that is fine but do not over cook it.

Remove the salt pork and the bay leaf from the beans.  Then add the bean mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until relatively smooth.  Then return the soup to the pan and add the ground beef and the balsamic vinegar.  Then heat through until all of the ingredients are heated through.  Make sure the ground beef has fully cooked at this point and then serve.

Makes about 8 generous servings.  Will keep up to 7 days in the refrigerator. I have not tried freezing this so if you try to you do it at your own risk. Not that it won't freeze just that I have never tried it.

Note:  This is my own creation.  Any likeness to anyone else's recipe is purely coincidental. 

Comments (3)

jblovly said:

	... great idea for black bean soup. yummy
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May 06, 2010
Votes: +0

jswana said:

	... I love your intro, particularly about beans being nature's blessings to us. I love Black Bean Soup too and this is a recipe I will follow. Thanks for sharing.
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May 11, 2010
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donata said:

	... Yum, black bean soup is one of my favorites. I've never tried to make any...only ordered it. Now I have a recipe for it. Thanks for sharing. 5*****
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May 12, 2010
Votes: +0