It’s still very much soup season over here. We’ve gotten more snow in the past month than we’ve had all winter, and having some soup simmering away on the stove while it’s snowing is just the best. This spicy black bean and sweet potato one is both creamy and chunky, since we blend some of the ingredients up and leave other ones whole. Texturally varied soups like that are my favorite. The savoriness of the black beans and onions in the soup interacts really well with the warming spices, and the subtle sweetness of the (sweet) potato. As always, simple soups like this do really well with toppings to elevate both flavor and appearance. In this case, cilantro, quick pickled radishes or onions, avocado, yogurt/cashew crema, and toasted pumpkin seeds are all great topping options to consider. Hope you’ll give this soup a try!
- 2 15 oz cans (3 cups) black beans, drained, divided
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves roughly separated
- 1 chipotle in adobo + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the same can)
- juice from 2 limes, divided
- sea salt
- avocado oil or other cooking oil of choice
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium-large sweet potato (about 1 lb), sliced into ½" thick quarter rounds
- a few handfuls baby spinach
- topping suggestions/ideas
- cilantro leaves
- quick pickled radishes or red onions
- avocado
- yogurt or cashew crema
- toasted pumpkin seeds
- In an upright blender, combine 1 can of beans, cilantro stems, chipotle in adobo and adobo sauce, juice from 1 lime, a pinch of salt, and 1½ cups of water. Blend until smooth and set aside for now.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the onion, cumin, coriander, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir around for another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the sweet potato and the remaining can of black beans, stir to coat in the spices.
- Add the blended black bean mixture to the pot, along with 2 more cups of water, and plenty more salt to taste, to season the soup. Mix and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the sweet potato is cooked through. Turn off the heat, wilt in the spinach and add the juice of 1 remaining lime. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve the soup warm, garnished with cilantro leaves, pickled radishes/onions, avocado, and/or yogurt or cashew crema.
-Our recipes for quick pickled radishes and quick pickled red onions are linked within the recipe. Both make for a delicious accompaniment to this soup.
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