Spicy black bean and ham soup with jalapeños and dry sherry.

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Ham

1 pound dry black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 ham hocks
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped (see note)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup dry sherry
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Rinse beans, drain and pick over. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 1 hour. Drain.
2. While beans are soaking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat until hot, but not smoking. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
3. Return beans to pot, along with sautéed vegetables, chicken broth, ham hocks, jalapeño and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1½ hours, or until meat is tender and falling off the bone. Remove ham hocks from pot and pull meat from bones when cool enough to handle. Drain beans and reserve cooking liquid. Purée beans and vegetables in a food processor or blender. Return to pot, along with ham, cooking sherry and lime juice. Add enough cooking liquid until desired consistency is reached. Heat over medium-low heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings.