Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Black Bean Soup

Recipe courtesy of Pamela Trester, PPMNY Network Ambassador

This delicious, hearty, and healthy soup is easy to make and is gluten- and nut-free. For an incredible WFPB Thanksgiving meal, start with this soup, followed by kabocha squashes, halved and stuffed with Chef AJ’s Wild Rice Stuffing with Apples, along with your favorite homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce, and Dr. Greger’s Pumpkin Pie Custard. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. dried black turtle beans, soaked overnight

  • 1 qt. water
  • 1 large onion (yellow or white), finely chopped
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup (approx.) low-sodium vegetable broth or water
  • 2 whole, peeled tomatoes from a can (preferably organic and salt-free), coarsely chopped; or 1 whole fresh tomato, coarsely chopped (see note)
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 T mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1 ½ T brown rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup chopped whole scallions for garnish
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Drain the beans and transfer them to a 6-quart soup pot. Add the quart of water. Bring to a boil, skimming the foam that rises to the surface until it almost ceases to form, then reduce heat to a low to medium flame, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.
2. While the beans are cooking, finely chop the onion, and mince the garlic. In a medium skillet, add the ¼ cup of vegetable broth or water to cover the bottom of the skillet, and heat until boiling. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often; add more broth or water as needed.
3. While onion and garlic are sautéing, chop the tomatoes, cut in half crosswise, and squeeze out the seeds. Chop coarsely and add to the skillet, along with the oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes. Note: If you are using a whole fresh tomato rather than canned tomatoes, you can drop the tomato into the bean pot for 30 seconds, remove it with a slotted spoon, and, when it's cool enough to handle, peel and cut in half crosswise, squeeze out the seeds, and chop coarsely.
4. Add the contents of the skillet into the soup pot, along with the bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer for another hour.
5. Add the mirin, brown rice vinegar, and salt and pepper (if desired), and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2-3 cups of the soup in a blender or food processor to create a thicker, smoother texture.
7. Ladle soup into bowls and serve, garnished with chopped scallions.