I had the
good fortune to be able to travel for three months this summer and try some
amazing cuisine. One of our stops was in New Mexico. I truly enjoyed the varied
flavors, colorful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients in the
Mexican cuisine. I purchased a cookbook that is called The SANTA FE… School of
Cooking COOKBOOK while in Santa Fe and stocked up on a variety of chiles.
Armed with my new cookbook and a variety of chile’s I
have been busy in the kitchen trying new recipes. The recipe below is one of
the recipes in the cookbook. We truly
enjoyed it and will definitely be
making it again. The list of ingredients is lengthy but the incredible flavor
of this soup made it worth the time it took to gather them all out of the spice
rack...
Black
Bean Soup
Adapted from
Santa Fe School of Cooking
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
4 sprigs
fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)
6 springs
fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)
6 sprigs
fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried (I used dried)
1/4 ounce fresh
epazote or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 cup canola
or olive oil
3 to 4 dried
chiles de arbol, chiles chipotles, or chiles moritas, or 2 teaspoons crushed
red peppers
2 cups
chopped white onion
2 teaspoon
minced garlic
1 pound
smoked pork shank (I used cubed pork tenderloin)
2 teaspoons
freshly ground toasted cumin seed
2 teaspoons
freshly ground toasted coriander seed
1 teaspoon
ground canela or 1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon
ground cloves or allspice
1 pound dried
black turtle beans, picked over and soaked overnight in water to cover
8 to 10 cups
chicken broth
2 to 3
teaspoons cider red wine, or sherry vinegar
1 to 2
teaspoons coarse salt or to taste
1/4 cup finely
diced red onion for garnish
1/2 cup sour
cream for garnish
Directions:
Tie the fresh
herbs and epazote into a bundle with kitchen string. Heat oil in
6-quart pot over medium-high heat and sauté the chiles for 30 seconds or until
toasted but not burned. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes,
or until softened. And the pork and the herb bundle, or dried herbs if using.
Stir in the spices, beans, and 8 cups of the broth and combine well. Bring to a
boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stir-ring
occasionally, for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft. Add the vinegar and
salt and simmer the soup an additional 30 minutes. Remove the pork shanks, herb
bundle, and chiles, if desired. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with
chopped red onion and a dollop of sour cream.
