Cuban Black Bean Soup Sopa de Frijoles Negros al Estilo Cubano

By pattie_d

I like a little heat in my black bean soup, so I add a tiny piece of Scotch bonnet chili pepper like I do in the previous soup. If you don't, leave it out. This is such a favorite of mine, that a bowl of this and a little crusty bread is a meal. I also think of this as my "ice cream sundae" soup--fill bowls with the soup and let people top them as they like.

Ingredients

• 2- 14 1/2 -ounce cans chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Sofrito (see "Staples")
• 1/2 cup canned Spanish-style tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons alcaparrado or chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1 tablespoon fine sea or kosher salt
• Healthy dose freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 Scotch bonnet or jalapeño pepper
• Any or all of the following "sundae toppings"
• Cooked white rice
• Chopped red or white onion
• Chopped cilantro
• One -quarter of a Scotch bonnet or jalapeno pepper, optional
• Sour cream
• Olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the black beans.


2. Stir the chicken broth, sofrito, tomato sauce, alcaparrado or olives, salt, pepper, and chili pepper into the black beans. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Continue boiling until the soup is nice and thick, with just enough liquid to cover the beans. Pull the pot off the heat and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes so the beans soak up a little more of the liquid. Serve hot, ladled into warm bowls. Pass the toppings you have prepared.