Low Fat Black Bean Soup

I ate so much Panera in college. Going to school in Elon, North Carolina didn’t leave us with a lot of options. Most of the time I ended up cooking a lot of my own meals, but whenever I wasn’t in the mood, Panera was the next best thing (that or Bojangles, Chik-fil-a breakfast or Wendy’s). After visiting Elon recently, of course I had to go back to our OG spot, Panera, for some classic soup and salad. For some reason, I decided to mix it up and get the black bean soup. I was shocked by how full I was after such a small cup, and was thus determined to remake it when I got home.

Low Fat Black Bean Soup

 

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Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

4 hours

 

This is a vegetarian version of low fat black bean soup, but something like bacon could easily be added for additional flavor. You may also discard the soaking water and replace with fresh water, but I decided to keep it so as not to lose some of the nutrients from the beans.

Author: Suzanne Bruno

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb bag of dried black beans
• 3 cups water
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock (I use homemade)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp chopped thyme
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp. salt (plus more if needed)
• 1 T vinegar or lemon juice
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Pick through the beans and discard any rocks or debris, and rinse under cold running water.
2. In a large bowl, soak the black beans overnight in water. The water should be at least 3 inches above the beans (any missed debris should float)
3. Once the beans have been properly soaked, sweat the onion, bell pepper and celery in a large heavy bottom pot (I use cast iron) until the onions are translucent. About 2-3 minutes. Then add the garlic and continue cooking for about 30 seconds more.
4. Pour in the beans along with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the bay leaf and thyme, cover and let simmer for about 1½ hours.
5. When the beans are tender, take out the bay leaf. Remove about a cup and a half of the soup and place in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and then return to the pot.
6. Season the soup with salt, cumin and cayenne, if desired, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Serve.

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