Bountiful Black Bean Soup
Submitted by jot
Hearty from-scratch black bean soup simmered with carrots, celery, and bright lemon zest, then pureed velvety smooth. A soul-warming bowl that feeds a crowd!
YIELD
3 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThere’s something deeply satisfying about building a pot of black bean soup from dried beans.
You get that rich, earthy base that no canned shortcut can touch.
This version loads up on aromatics: a whole bunch of celery, a pound of carrots, and two fat onions, all simmered low in chicken broth until everything melts together.
The secret weapon? Lemon zest and a generous squeeze of juice stirred in at the end, lifting the whole pot with a brightness that cuts right through the creamy depth.
Puree it silky or leave it chunky, your call.
Chef Tips
- Soak beans overnight for the most even cooking and tender results
- Don’t skip the lemon zest: it adds a fragrant layer that lemon juice alone can’t deliver
- Puree in batches and be careful with hot liquids in the blender (leave the cap cracked and cover with a towel)
- This soup thickens as it sits, so thin leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating
Ingredients
Directions
Place beans in large saucepan.
Add enough water to cover beans by 1 inch.
Bring to boil over high heat.
Boil 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; cover tightly and let stand 1 hour.
(Or soak beans overnight in large bowl with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.) Drain.
Combine beans in 5-quart Dutch oven or soup kettle with chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, and lemon zest.
Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is just below surface of beans and ingredients are very tender, 2½ to 3 hours.
Using slotted spoon, transfer soup solids in batches to food processor and puree.
Transfer purée to large bowl and add cooking liquid.
(Or purée solids and liquids together in blender. Or force soup through coarse sieve or pass it through food mill, discarding skins.) Return soup to Dutch oven.
Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until heated through.
Place lemon quarter in bottom of each bowl.
Pour in soup and serve immediately.
Makes about 3 quarts of 10 to 12 servings.
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