INGREDIENTS
- 12 ounces dried black beans
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 sachet d’epices (2 cloves, 1⁄8 teaspoon allspice, 1⁄8 teaspoon cumin seeds, and ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns)
- ½ ounce bacon, minced
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- ¾ cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 lemon, thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted and chopped ancho chile
- 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ¾ cup cooked barley, brown rice, or mixed-grain pilaf
- ½ cup wilted spinach, chopped
This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America’s The Diabetes-Friendly Kitchen cookbook (2012, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
Cuban Black Bean Soup
Until I tried black bean soup with the lemon, sun-dried tomatoes, and sherry vinegar this recipe uses, I was never crazy about it. 
Garnish with wilted spinach. – Jennifer Stack
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1. Soak the beans for 8 to 12 hours in enough cold water to cover by 3 inches or use the short soak method*. Drain the beans and simmer in the chicken broth with the sachet until the beans are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the sachet.
2. In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp. Add the canola oil. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin and sauté until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the lemon, ancho and jalapeño chiles, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and onion mixture to the beans and simmer until the soup is flavorful, about 15 minutes more.
4. Remove and discard the lemon slices. Remove one-third of the beans from the soup and purée in a blender or food processor. Stir the puréed beans back into the soup. Stir in the vinegar.
5. In a small bowl, combine the cooked barley, rice, or pilaf and the spinach until well mixed. Serve each bowl of soup garnished with some of the rice mixture.
*The short soak method: Place the sorted and rinsed legumes in a pot and add enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a simmer, then remove the pot from the heat and cover. Let the legumes steep for 1 hour.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 298, Protein 18 g, Carbohydrates 51 g, Fiber 16 g, Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g,
Sodium 386 mg
