Easy black bean soup cooked in the slow cooker! Eliminate the Chipotle Cream drizzle to veganize.
I was hit with flu this week with all its fever, muscle aches, and generally feeling like roadkill regalia. In one short week I went from feeling a little smug for how healthy I've been this season to being thankful my will is up to date.
It's hard to rally interest in cooking when you have a fever unless it's to fry an egg on your forehead while you remain in bed. And I was done well before yesterday when I dined on my third meal in a row of Lipton chicken noodle soup out of a box (reminder: I'm a wimpy vegetarian and fall into childhood comfort patterns under stress). Earlier in the week I did (marginally) better. I raided the freezer and scored a couple of jars of lentil stew which proved to be too heavy on my stomach and some toaster waffles (which were at least whole wheat with flax meal). In truth, most meals have been a variation of eggs and toast. It may be time to renew my pleas to my husband for us to buy a few chickens.
Unfortunately the flu slammed Carnivorous Maximus too, so we've got a bit of a hospital going here. And since his interest in cooking is limited at the best of times (although he does scramble a mean egg), by Sunday morning, it was time to rally. Or at least to cook something healthy and fresh. And my assigned blog this month for the Secret Recipe Club, Lynseylous, had the perfect solution.
But first at little about SRC and Lynseylous. Members of SRC are assigned another member's blog each month. We pick any recipe from that blogger’s site, make it, and write about it. Who has who is a secret until Reveal Day. It's been fun to find new vegetarian dinners that I can adjust for Carnivorous Maximus, and I love seeing which recipe on my site draws someone to the kitchen to pull on an apron.
Lynsey, the power behind the Lynseylous blog, is a recent stay-at-home mom, and totally loves it. She started her blog in 2008, and it's truly a wealthy of fabulous recipes and photos ranging from baking to cooking. I created a short list of recipes I wanted to try a couple of weeks ago, including Homemade Graham Crackers, Flourless Black Bean Brownies, and Sour Cream Muffins with Poppy Seed Streusel. I was all set to make her Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce when I got sick. After that I was really looking for something I could throw together and go back to bed. I went back to her lovely site, and her Slow Cooker Black Bean Ragout leapt off the screen, and absolutely hit the spot. Kismet.
If you check out Lynsey's recipe and then mine, the first thing you'll notice is that hers is a ragout thick enough to spoon onto some fabulous looking garlic toasts. But I used Cassoulets USA Black Turtle Beans which are, as it happens, smaller. So much smaller, that the ragout became a soup. Next time, if I'm using the Turtle variety, I'll double up. Either way, this is one fabulous vegetarian meal.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
Bean Soup
- 1 ¼ cups dried black beans rinsed if not previously soaked (I've used Cassoulets Black Turtle Beans and standard black beans with equal success)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup diced yellow onion ½ medium onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic 3 - 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika I used Pimenton de la Vera
- 1 dried chile I used a dried chipotle chile
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Quick drizzle of sriracha sauce optional
Chipotle Cream
- ¼ cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- ¾ teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- two pinches of kosher salt
Garnishes
- Finely chopped red onion green onion, cilantro and/or lime wedge
Instructions
Bean Soup
- Rinse the beans and sort through them to pull out any stones or damaged beans. Place them in a heavy pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and remove from the heat for 10 minutes.
- Strain the beans and combine with the hot vegetable broth in a slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, dried chile, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for a few hours until the beans are tender. Lynsey's recipe called for 3 - 4 hours of cooking on high, and 6 - 8 hours on low. I cooked mine for 5 hours on high and my beans were perfect. Be aware there can be a lot of variability on cooking times depending on how old your dried beans are.
- Add the lime juice, and if you like a touch of heat to your black bean soup, add a quick hit of sriracha. Adjust seasonings if needed.
- Partially puree the soup using an immersible blender.
Chipotle Cream
- Mix together the sour cream and chipotle peppers in adobe in a small bowl. Add a little salt to taste. I pour mine into a squeeze bottle - so easy for adding a drizzle just before serving along with a couple of garnishes.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Your soup is modern art!
Lynn
Yum!! I love Black Bean Soup~ Great src pick~Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
JJ - 84thand3rd
I love a good black bean soup and the flavours on this one sound great! Hope everyone is back in good health soon!
Emily @ Life on Food
I hope you start feeling better soon. I am sure the soup certainly helped. It looks delicious! Happy Reveal Day!!
Melissa
I love black bean soup. This sounds delicious! Great pick this month 🙂
SallyBR
Sorry about the flu, that is not fun!
my Mom always believed that black bean soup would cure anything, so there you go... I am sure this was a great dish to enjoy when you were not feeling that great 😉
Happy Reveal Monday!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles
Feel better!!! Your SRC pick looks amazing - I've never seen a soup like that! Yumm!
Rita
Never thought of bean soup in the slow cooker; makes lots of sense. (I would have gone the chicken soup recipe following the flu! Had you gotten a flu shot?)
Erika
Oof sorry to hear you and your husband both got slammed with the flu!! That is truly unfortunate. But I had to laugh at --> "It’s hard to rally interest in cooking when you have a fever unless it’s to fry an egg on your forehead while you remain in bed." I can totally relate, which is why I'm so impressed that you managed to make this black bean soup anyway! Yum! I'm going to have to hurry and make this before Houston gets too hot...summer feels like it's just around the corner!
cheri
I have some black beans soaking on the counter as we speak. Love the way your post reads and your pics are gorgeous.
Tara
Hope you all feel better! I love the topping of your soup!
Karen @ Karen's Kitchen Stories
I hope you are both feeling better! This soup is gorgeous. Love the white swirl! Great blog Susan!
Kirstin
oh wow. Just pinned these. they look so good. Thanks for sharing. Fellow Group D'er
mjskit
So sorry that you and your husband have had the flu. 🙁 Hope you're feeling better. You sound a lot like me when it comes to what makes you feel better. When I'm sick, I just open up a can of chicken noodle as well. This black bean soup does look delicious and I bet it's great for the after flu recuperation period. Take care of yourselves!
Melissa
I love, LOVE black bean soup. Knowing there's a crockpot method is amazing. Great pick--thanks for the inspiration!
laurasmess
Sorry to hear that you and the carnivore have been feeling so terrible this week Susan! May health return to your household very soon! This soup, on the other hand, looks divine. The best kind of simple food for when sickness hits. Thanks for the recipe and inspiration. Rest up and get well! xx
Oui, Chef
Ugh, I hate the flu....you poor thing. Glad to hear you are finally back on your feet, I bet this soup REALLY helped on that front.
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
Mmmm soups are such great comfort food... this one sounds awesome!
Terra
I have to incorporate more beans in my diet, for extra protein. Love this recipe, all the flavors together would be fantastic! Gorgeous, Hugs, Terra
Amy @ Fearless Homemaker
Oh wow, this soup looks SO good. Hope you're feeling lots better now!
EA-The Spicy RD
SO sorry you got sick 🙁 This looks SO good 🙂 Hope you're feeling LOTS better now!!