South Beach Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups dried black beans, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large red peppers, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground oregano
• lime zest, from one lime
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• quartered lime
• diced red onion
• sour cream
• Tabasco sauce

Directions

1. 1

   Place the beans and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender. Add more water if necessary to keep the beans well covered.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and saute the peppers, shallots, onion and garlic over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

3. 3

   Add cumin, oregano and lime zest, and transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

4. 4

   When the beans are almost tender, add the pureed mixture and the sugar and salt, and cook until tender, about 20-30 minutes.

5. 5

   Before serving, add the dry sherry and cilantro. Serve topped with sour cream and diced red onions and with a lime wedge and Tobasco on the side.