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earthy, black bean soup with fresh relish

(2 ratings)
judyjellybean avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Julia Ferguson
@judyjellybean
Greenwood, IN

I was looking for a very flavorful black bean soup that would be worthy of the smokey, meaty ham bone I saved from our Christmas ham. Well, I could not find one recipe that I thought would deliver. However, I found several that had ingredients I thought would certainly add to the flavor I was looking for. This soup is so earthy and comforting, especially on a cold winter evening. Enjoy!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This soup takes a little time to make, but is very good. It is also a great way to use a leftover Christmas ham bone. This soup has a lot of flavor going on. The fresh relish adds a punch of flavor and makes the soup really good. Keep an eye on the liquid, I did have to add a tad more while cooking. Don't have a ham bone? Substitute with a thick ham steak.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 8 or more
cook time 4 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For earthy, black bean soup with fresh relish

  • 1 Tbsp
    extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 c
    each, small dice: sweet onion, carrot and celery
  • 3 lg
    cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 1
    jalapeno, chopped fine
  • 1 Tbsp
    ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp
    oregano, dried
  • 2 tsp
    fresh ground black pepper
  • 4 sprig
    fresh cilantro
  • 8 c
    no salt added, vegetable stock (2-32oz cartons)
  • 1 lg
    bay leaf, dried
  • 2 lb
    small, black beans, that have been sorted, rinsed and soaked the day before, then rinsed and drained, for use in this recipe
  • 1
    meaty, smoked ham bone

How To Make earthy, black bean soup with fresh relish

  • 1
    The day before making this soup, sort black beans, removing any not so good looking beans and or rocks that may have gotten into the bag. Rinse beans thoroughly to remove any dirt. In a large container with lid, cover beans with water so that there is about an inch of water above the beans, cover and refrigerate over night.
  • 2
    When ready to make soup, drain soaking liquid from beans. Rinse thoroughly and drain; set aside.
  • 3
    Have vegetables chopped and spices measured and ready to go.
  • 4
    In a large soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat, add oil. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring occasionaly until soft.
  • 5
    Add garlic, jalapeno and spices; cook until fragrant.
  • 6
    Add broth, beans and bay leaf; stir thoroughly. Add ham bone. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beans are tender. About 3-4 hours; the longer the beans cook the thicker the broth becomes. Before serving, remove bay leaf and cilantro sprigs; toss. Remove ham bone and set aside until cool enough to handle. When cool enough, remove meat from bone, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup and heat through. Serve with fresh relish; recipe below.
  • 7
    Relish (optional): 2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped Mix all ingredients, stirring thoroughly. Set aside until ready to serve.
  • 8
    Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream and a spoon of relish on top.
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