Also known as turtle beans,
these black beans are adorned with green chiles to heat things
up, fresh tomatoes to cool things down, brown rice for substance
and a dash of sherry for culture.
Sherried
Black Bean Soup
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (see note)
1/2 cup bran
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
- Cook rice according to package directions;
set aside.
- Meanwhile, reserve one-fourth of the black
beans. Purée the remaining beans with water in a blender
or food processor; set aside.
- In a large stockpot, cook onions, celery
and carrots in oil until tender-crisp. Add broth, chiles, bran,
pepper and the whole and puréed beans. Simmer uncovered
for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in sherry. Serve
with rice and garnish with green onions and tomatoes.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: Working with jalapeños or
other chiles: Capsaicin is the ingredient in chiles that causes
the burning sensation associated with fresh peppers. It's a good
idea to use rubber gloves when handling fresh chiles. (Disposable
surgical gloves, available at most drugstores, work best for
this.) If you choose not to use gloves, be extremely careful
not to touch any part of your body, especially your eyes. After
you've finished handling the chiles, wash your knife and cutting
board with hot soapy water to ensure that there is no carry-over
to other foods that may come in contact with the peppers.
