Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes

By Laura77

The sweet potatoes in this soup contrast nicely with the tang of the yogurt and the tartness of the lime. Aniseed lends an unusual hint of licorice flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. aniseed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 quarts lower-salt chicken broth or homemade vegetable broth
• Four 15.5-oz. or two 29-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 8 paper-thin lime slices

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften and brown slightly, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, aniseed, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, beans, sweet potatoes, and 3/4 tsp. salt and bring to a boil over high heat; skim any foam as necessary. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, set aside 3 cups of the beans and potatoes. Puree the remaining soup in batches in a blender. Return the solids to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with a dollop of the yogurt and a lime slice.

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.