Black Bean Soup

By davidgoodman

From an old clipping my mother gave me.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black beans (1 lb)
• 2 lb shin of beef with bone
• 8 cups of water
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced carrot
• 1 1/2 cup sliced celery, with tops
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 T salt
• 1/4 t fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• Chopped parsley

Preparation

Step 1

1. Soak beans overnight in water to cover.

2. Next day, drain the beans. In an 8-quart kettle, combine beans, beef, 8 cups of water; bring to a boil. Skim foam from surface.

3. Add bouillon cubes, onion, carrot, celery, cloves, bay leaf, salt and pepper; return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer covered 3 1/2 hours or until vegetable and meat are very tender. Remove from heat.

4. Remove the meat and pass soup through a food mill to make a purée.

5. Return to kettle. Add sherry; reheat gently.

6. Serve hot with slices of hard-boiled egg and lemon slices over the top. Sprinkle with parsley.