Black Bean Soup

I've got 1lb of dried beans soaking overnight. Any good recipes for black bean soup out there?

I love black beans. There is a place in Market Square, San Antonio called "Mi Tierra" and you can bet anytime I'm in SA that I'm going to have breakfast there with black beans. I don't know how they spice them but man are they good.

OK This is what I did.

I soaked 1 lb (2C) dried black beans overnight.

This morning I drained and rinsed them. I simmered them covered with 5C. of water and a large bay leaf about an hour or so until they were tender.

Next make the soup.

Finely chop:
1 large onion
1 green pepper (was huge so I used half)
1-2 stalks celery
1-2 carrots
4 garlic cloves

Saute the vegetables in a little oil until soft. Add to the beans and their cooking liquid (remove bay leaf). You could use canned beans with their liquid but may have to add chicken stock or water.

Add:
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (hot) but you could use mild or just plain tomatoes
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
cayenne to taste
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
freshly ground pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar OR 3-4 Tbsp lime juice. If using lime juice add towards the end of cooking time.

Cook on stovetop 30-45 minutes or until all vegetables are very soft. Cook in slow cooker on low 8-10 hours, or high 3-4 hours.

Puree part or all of the soup to thicken using a blender, food processor or stick blender.

Serve garnished with sour cream and finely chopped red onion. Guacamole would be good too.

*** Other interesting ingredients that I saw in the recipes that I used for reference were: juice & rind of an orange, whole cloves, 3/4 tsp. allspice, ham hock cooked along with beans and bay leaf in step 1. After cooking remove meat from bone and add to soup.

The soup is still cooking so I can't say if it is good. After tasting, I may make some tweaks to the recipe for next time
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Unfortunately I found this AFTER I had soaked the beans overnight. I hope I don't regret not using this method...

Anti-Flatulent Strategy Using Quick Soak Method

Our government has found that flatulent effects of beans can be lessened. The difficulty is caused by elements in beans that some find hard to digest, and the body produces gas in response. These elements are soluble in water, and may be 80 percent removed.

The overnight soak in cold water does not do the job, so the quick-soak method must be used:
Place beans in a pot and cover them well with water. Bring water to the boil. This must be an active boil across the surface, not a simmer. Boil for a minute or two to soften the membrane. Turn heat off, cover pot, and steep 1 hour.
After steeping, drain beans in a colander. Return beans to the pot and cover with water. Let sit a few minutes. Drain them again and repeat washing twice, so that beans undergo three changes of water in all. They are now ready for cooking.