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Sopa de frijoles
Black bean soup
Sopa de frijoles: Honduran and Guatemalan black bean soup with culantro, served with tortillas and cream
In Honduras and Guatemala, from Tegucigalpa's comedores to family kitchens in the Guatemalan highlands, sopa de frijoles is the soup of rainy-season evenings and Sunday lunches: black beans simmered until the broth turns inky and silky, seasoned with onion, sweet pepper, garlic and plenty of culantro or coriander. Each bowl is finished at the table with a spoonful of thick cream and served with warm corn tortillas. A bowl gives about 24 g of protein from the beans and cream. Many cooks crumble over salty fresh cheese, which is often made with animal rennet; choose one labelled vegetarian, or leave it out. Soak the beans for 12 hours first; that time is not counted below. The most common mistake is serving it watery: the broth should be thick enough to coat a spoon, so mash some beans into it. Chef's tip: for a vegan bowl, swap the cream for avocado slices.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried black beanssoaked in cold water for 12 hours
- 9 ¼ cups water
- 1 onionhalved for the beans, plus see below
- 4 garlic cloves2 whole, 2 chopped
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped, for frying
- 1 green or red sweet pepperfinely chopped
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅔ oz culantro or fresh corianderchopped
- 2 tsp salt
To serve
- ½ cup soured cream or crema
- 2 ⅛ oz crumbly fresh cheese (optional)vegetarian (non-animal rennet)
- 8 corn tortillas (optional)warmed
- 1 lime (optional)cut into wedges
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (7)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 16 oz dried black beans and put them in a large pot with 9 ¼ cups water, 1 onion and the 2 whole cloves of 2 garlic cloves. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer, partly covered, for 70–80 minutes, until the beans are completely soft and the liquid is dark.
75 minStep 2: Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and 1 green or red sweet pepper for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the chopped 2 garlic cloves, 1 tomato and ½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 5 minutes more, until the tomato collapses.
13 minStep 3: Scrape the fried vegetables into the beans, add 2 tsp salt and ⅓ oz culantro or fresh coriander, and simmer for 10 minutes. Fish out the boiled onion.
10 minStep 4: Blend about a third of the soup until smooth and stir it back in, or mash with a potato masher, so the broth is thick and creamy enough to coat a spoon. Taste for salt.
Step 5: Ladle into bowls and top each with a spoonful of ½ cup soured cream or crema, the rest of ⅓ oz culantro or fresh coriander and 2 ⅛ oz crumbly fresh cheese if using. Serve with 8 corn tortillas and 1 lime.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 24 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sopa de frijoles take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 95 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of dried black beans?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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