Rev: Mexican Ham & Bean Soup, Oct 2002

[Ralph]

I don't think there are enough thumbs up icons for this recipe! WOW!

I thought I had seen a prior review for this, but searches turned up nothing.

Anyhow, with no disrespect to the much-lauded turkey with mole sauce, this is definitely the best CL recipe I've made all year. The only drawback: It takes over 3 hours to cook!:eek: But, absolutely well worth it. The only change I made was using a pasilla chile rather than a chipotle (but I added about half a teaspoon of chipotle powder). I suppose it could be made with canned beans, but I'm not sure how they would soak up all the liquid while cooking that long.

Served it with the suggested Oatmeal Molasses Bread, which was also really good! See my review here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30222&highlight=molasses) .

[Terri-Lynn]

Thanks for the great review, looks like another great soup to add to my ever growing to try list.

This is why I love fall!!

Terri

[Gina O]

Another recipe request... if someone has this in Mastercook I would greatly appreciate you posting it. I would love to make this over the weekend as I await the October issue to forward to me from my old address. Thanks, Gina

[valchemist]

the cookpac just came out today (after I had already typed up the Chicken Pasanda recipe :rolleyes: ), so here it is.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine. October 2002. Page: 214.
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound dried pinto beans
8 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed smoked ham steak (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 chipotle chile (or dried ancho or pasilla
chile)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese or
Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions.
A perfectly sweet partner for this filling soup is our molasses bread.

The Oatmeal Molasses Bread recipe can be found in the October 2002 issue.

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

2. Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (broth through garlic) in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Partially cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

3. Stir in tomatoes and chile; simmer 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and chile. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top with cheese; sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1-1/2 cups soup, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon cilantro).

[Gina O]

Wow, that was fast!!! Thanks sooooo much. This sounds so good. Gina

[AnnaSue]

Ralph..what kind of meat did you use for this? I was thinking about making this later this week, but I'm not exactly sure what a "smoked ham steak" is.:confused: Where did you find it?

[SueK]

Ralph- thanks for the review. This is one of the recipes I have on my "to do" list, so it's great to know it tasted good.

[funnybone]

Thanks for the review, Ralph. I have been waiting for some colder weather to make this one. I don't like making things that take a long time if it is still 80F out there.


Anna Sue - you can find the smoked ham steak in your meat/deli section of the store. It's probably near the smoked kielbassa, and other packaged meat. Or you can just get some smoked ham at the deli counter and tell them to slice a thick slice off. I think smoked turkey could work as well, and even kielbassa too.

[AnnaSue]

Thanks Funnybone - I'll look for it later today!

[Peggy C.]

Originally posted by AnnaSue
Ralph..what kind of meat did you use for this? I was thinking about making this later this week, but I'm not exactly sure what a "smoked ham steak" is.:confused: Where did you find it?

AnnaSue, usually you can find individual hamsteaks (with or without bone) vacuum packed near the whole and half hams in your grocery store. The ones with bones are considerably larger than the 8 oz. called for in this recipe, but the left overs would be good in an omelet or srambled eggs.

edited to say...oops Fanny (;)) and I must have been posting at the same time.

[Ohioan]

Do you think smoked turkey would work in lieu of the ham?

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Ralph]

Originally posted by funnybone
you can find the smoked ham steak in your meat/deli section of the store. It's probably near the smoked kielbassa, and other packaged meat

Exactly where I found it. And oddly enough, the label said exactly that: Smoked Ham Steak!

And, Phoebe, I think turkey would work fine.

[mochadelsol]

I also just made this:) Thursday night dinner was this great soup recipe. I had to do things differently, I woke up sick and didn't start the beans:( But I had Trappy's Pinto Beans w/Jala. peppers. I used 4 cans of those drained. Added only 5 cups of chicken broth. I also found the smoked ham in meat/deli. Even my DD loved it, and asked for more. I made a sweet cornbread to go with.

[LauraBL]

My DH and I loved this recipe too. This will definitely be a repeater. I couldn't find dried chipotle chiles so I also bought the pasilla chiles. I had trouble finding the ham steak at Jewel and almost bought pork loin instead...but then I found the ham steak (Cook's brand) near the end of the meat area. I used some of the "New Mexican Chile Powder" for the chile powder in the recipe. That surely added to the smoky flavor.

I made a buttermilk cornbread (baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet) to go with it. I ended up starting this recipe on Tuesday night and staying up too late waiting for the beans to cook. I finished cooking the recipe on Wednesday night. We also cooked up some basmati rice (strange, yes, but out of regular rice) and mixed up the rice and soup in our bowls. YUMOLA!

Laura

[valchemist]

the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by valchemist
the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

I'll be making this one this week and was going to use a chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Is that what they are referring to?

[helene]

Thanks for the great review, Ralph.

Now, with cold days here in Canada, it's time to try soup.

:p

[valchemist]

Originally posted by funnybone


I'll be making this one this week and was going to use a chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Is that what they are referring to?

that was my impression. I will be making it that way on tuesday.

[mochadelsol]

For lunch on Sat. I took some leftover chicken and dumped it in the leftover soup, and once again everyone said they loved this soup:p :D

[Peggy]

mochadelsol,

So glad to hear that someone used canned beans!! I have this on my menus for this week, but while working, there is no way that I have 3 hours to make dinner after I get home. I had planned on using canned pinto beans but am so glad to hear that someone else already tried this with success!:o F.Y.I. - I also plan on using a chipolte chile in adobo sauce instead of a dried chile. Can't wait to give this recipe a try!!!

Peggy

[funnybone]

One question - How many cans of canned beans for 1 lb of dried? Mochdelsol used 4 cans (assuming they are 15 oz) - that seems like too many. But then again, I don't know much about dried beans.

[wallycat]

My soup is on the stove as we speak!!
I soaked my dried beans overnight, so that cuts out the long soaking/cooking time .
I'm also using a smoked turkey leg, so I'll post back how it turned out...AND I cut the recipe in half...

Dried beans close to triple in size, so 1 cup dried will give you (give or take) about 3 cups cooked....most canned are 14.5 oz. which is shy of 2 cups so my guess would be a litte over 1/2 cup dried or there-abouts for to give you "one can's worth"....

[NancyR]

I have mentioned this before but this thread is a good place to repeat for those of you who didn't see it. A very excellent place to get ham for making soup is Heavenly Ham (the chain of stores). Ordinarily I don't go near the places but someone tipped me off to this and it it just the best bargain around. They sell "soup bones" which is what they have left after slicing ham for sandwiches in the store. You get a HUGE bone wrapped in foil for about $3.50 (forget the exact price). I usually get 2 or 3 and use one, freeze the rest. They usually still have quite a bit of meat on them and, needless to say, are super tasty.

[Ralph]

Originally posted by valchemist
the recipe doesn't call for a dried chipotle. unless I am mistaken. it just says 1 chipotle chile.

By definition, a chipotle is a dried, smoked jalapeno. I think they're just packaged in adobo sauce since that's how they're most often used. I did find a very small bag of them (1 oz.) at Whole Foods, but I didn't feel like spending 2.99 to use just one chile when I had a bunch of pasillas in the pantry. To be honest, I don't think using a chipotle packed in adobo would harm this recipe at all!

As best I recall, when CL recommends a chipotle from an adobo-packed can, they specify just that. And they always list a 7oz. can in the ingredient list, but tell you to remove one chile from the can & set the others aside for future use.

[valchemist]

oops. you are right, Ralph. That makes sense. thanks. but I still will end up using the chipotle in adobo, because I can't find dried chiles around here. hope it comes out ok!

[mochadelsol]

I didn't think that 4 cans made it too full of beans, even with the reduced chicken broth it was still soupy, in fact next I would have liked it to be alittle thicker. Next time I will make it with dried beans.

[wallycat]

I also used chipotle (ground powder) from penzey's ...so I'll let you know if it's too spicy. Of course, not having used the original chipotle, I won't be able to compare it...but at least you'll know if it's good...:confused: :rolleyes: :o

[valchemist]

Originally posted by wallycat
I also used chipotle (ground powder) from penzey's ...so I'll let you know if it's too spicy.

I have ground chipotle from penzey's, too. so maybe I will use that instead. how much did you use?

[LauraBL]

Phew! I was getting confused there myself about the chipotle thing. Please report in on how the beans turned out with the chipotles in adobo sauce. I didn't find the recipe had a lot of "heat" in it with just the one pasilla chile.

Laura

[wallycat]

Val,
I used 1/8 tsp because DH does NOT like spicey food...and because I cut the recipe in half.
I'll report back this evening :D

[JHolcomb]

This sounds great! Could it be made in the pressure cooker to reduce cooking time??

[funnybone]

Originally posted by valchemist


I have ground chipotle from penzey's, too. so maybe I will use that instead. how much did you use?

How much are you going to use, Val? I rather use the powder than opening a can for one chile.

Let us know how yours turns out, Wallycat.

[valchemist]

I was thinking 1/2 tsp. but maybe that is too much? we like things pretty spicy, but not really hot. we like to taste the other flavors and not just the heat. does anyone have enough experience with the penzey's chipotle to know if 1/2 tsp is too much for us? now I am thinking it might be.

[kgraham]

JHolcomb - I made this in my pressure cooker and it came out great, but didn't seem to reduce the cooking time by much. It still took about 2 hours. First I "pre-soaked" the beans by using the pressure cooker (used the cold water release method to release pressure), then I cooked the beans mixed with soup ingredients in the pressure cooker (used the natural release method - this is part of why is still took a while, I think).

[wallycat]

We really liked this soup....
Val, the 1/8th tsp. of chipotle powder was very mild with nice smokiness...We added cheese topping and think it made it even milder so my thought is if you are adding cheese, increase the amount, if you aren't and you want subtle, leave as is 1/8 (for 1/2 the recipe)...if you like heat...increase with cheese or without :D ;)
The smoked turkey leg was very nice and easy.
DH thinks it would be better with the ham...so next time, ham it is.

I served it with cornbread...THE BEST CORNBREAD i've EVER MADE...
I will post the recipe on the cornbread thread...it's from Ultimate Southern Living cookbook, but I made changes :p :o :D ;)

Oh, one last thing...the turkey leg must not be as salty as the ham. The recipe doesn't call for salt (that I read anywhere) and when tasting it, I felt it needed it. I do use low-salt tomato products too, so maybe that could have been part of the issue....so I'd add some salt if using the smoked turkey leg.

[valchemist]

thanks, wallycat. great review - it is just the info I need to help me put the recipe together tomorrow.

[mochadelsol]

we love spicy, I used 1 teaspoon of the chipotle powder, at the dinner table DH & I added more spice:p

[Leisa M]

Can I use a crockpot? This recipe sound perfect for one. Let me know please

[wallycat]

Leisa,
I think you can use the crockpot...I was going to try it, but planned in advance for a change, so just soaked overnight.
My only concern would be how to adjust liquid if you're starting with dry beans...but using what they suggest won't dry out and if it is too thick when you get home you can add more stock if you want to.
The onions may not melt away as well as if cooked, but I don't think that would be a problem either.

I think this could easily be made in the crockpot or the pressure cooker. If I try it again, I'll repost here.

Mochadelsol--HOLY COW...if I used that much chipotle, I think DH would leave :p :rolleyes: I still remember the spicy baked bean incident :eek: :o ;)

[NancyR]

Gee, I hate to add a discouraging word to this thread but I was a bit disappointed. I even added TWO chipotles and a bit of adobo sauce and still thought it was a tad bland and VERY watery. Maybe I just like my soups a bit thicker. Am anxious to see how you all made out.

[valchemist]

hmmm...

I like my soups a little thicker, too. Especially if they serve as a main dish. Did anyone else find this watery? Should I use less broth?

[funnybone]

For those of you who like thicker soups, I saw a tip on TV a couple of weeks ago that I have not tried. Just add some potato flakes in the pot and it will thicken the soup up. Seems like it would work.

[NancyR]

Good point about the potato flakes. Think when I reheat it I will throw in a few torn up (very finely) corn tortillas like the turkey mole. That should add to the flavor as well.

[wallycat]

I would use a little less broth...and I took the back of my spoon and mashed up some of the beans to thicken the soup.

[beckms]

i pureed about a cup of the soup to thicken it, and it's a good thickness now. Too watery before, though...

[valchemist]

great ideas for thickening. thanks! It is on tonight's menu.

[beckms]

Any thoughts on how well this would freeze?

[wallycat]

I think it would freeze well. The soup actually thickens up quite a bit the next day.

[valchemist]

this was very good. couldn't find a smoked ham steak so I just used a regular ham steak. I used a heaping 1/4 tsp of Penzey's chipotle powder. That seemed just right. I used 6 cups of chicken broth and 3 cups of water (instead of 8 cups and 2 cups). I used my immersion blender at the end to thicken the soup. I didn't blend it much though. just enough to give the soup body. This was easy to make and very tasty.

[NancyR]

Does anybody know what "Manchego cheese" is that they suggest topping the soup with? I couldn't find it and wasn't sure if Manchego is a brand or a type of cheese (like colby or swiss).

[ClaraB]

Originally posted by NancyR
Does anybody know what "Manchego cheese" is that they suggest topping the soup with? I couldn't find it and wasn't sure if Manchego is a brand or a type of cheese (like colby or swiss). Manchego cheese is a type of cheese that's used in Mexican cooking.

[Ohioan]

True Manchego is actually a Spanish cheese. You could probably substitute an extra-sharp cheddar or aged provolone.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[beckms]

oops, I completely forgot about the ceese. IMO, the soup is fine naked!

[funnybone]

Originally posted by NancyR
Does anybody know what "Manchego cheese" is that they suggest topping the soup with? I couldn't find it and wasn't sure if Manchego is a brand or a type of cheese (like colby or swiss).

I hadn't seen this cheese before but I actually saw it at Costco last week. It's a type of cheese, not a brand. It looked dense - more almost like as Asiago than M.Jack cheese. I didn't buy it though because it was a huge chunk. I plan on making this recipe tonight and will use M. Jack instead.


Oh, here is some info on Manchego cheese, FYI, from www.epicurious.com

manchego cheese [mahn-CHAY-goh]

Spain's most famous cheese, so named because it was originally made only from the milk of Manchego sheep that grazed the famous plains of La Mancha. Manchego is a rich, golden, semifirm cheese that has a full, mellow flavor. The two that are most commonly exported are curado, aged between 3 and 4 months, and viejo, aged longer. Manchego is a wonderful snack cheese and melts beautifully in heated dishes.

[funnybone]

I made this last night and we really loved it. I didn't find it too thin and I didn't even bother with the cheese either. I halved the recipe but used the whole can of tomatoes as I know I won't be needing a half can anytime soon. I didn't measure the chipotle powder as I sprinkled it, but it was probably about 1/2 tsp. I used 2 cans of pinto beans too.

I also made the Oatmeal Molasses Bread and it was really good. It was sweeter than I anticipated and I am even having a slice with my coffee as we speak. I froze the other loaf for later use.

I would definitely make both these recipes again!

[Peggy]

I have been following this post for quite awhile and finally, last night I made the soup. Here were my changes: I used 2 cans of pinto beans, 5 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of water, drained the can of tomatoes and used 1 thawed chipolte chile in adobo sauce. I should have cut back further on the broth or water because it was looking a bit thin. I decided to add some cooked brown rice and that thickened it up nicely.

The verdict: This soup is wonderful!!! We all agreed it earned an 8.5/10 points. Loved the smoky, spicy flavor from the chipolte. A definate repeater!

Peggy

[mmtibbs]

Here's another thumbs up--I made this for our halftime lunch today as we watch the Packer game.

I used canned pinto beans, 1/2 tsp Penzey's Chipotle powder, 1 tsp Penzey's adobo and lots of meat from three smoked turkey legs. Mine turned out sort of stew like, which we love. I also added a flame broiled pasilla chili to the pot....because I had it. We served it with homemade corn bread and a beer. Perfect.

[Terrytx]

I also made the soup this weekend and followed the directions pretty well. This was great! I'll put it in the "keeper list".

[KValley]

When I first tasted the finished product Sunday morning, I thought "Uggh- what's the hoopla all about?!" It was watery and bland. :( I followed the recipe exactly, using chipotle chile and the bean "juice" instead of plain water. (Oh, I used half pinto/half black beans).

We much prefer thick and spicy soups, so I drained about 2 cups of liquid, left the chipotle chile in and added two cups of cooked millet (my new favorite grain). When we sat down to dinner 8 hours later, what a difference!! Just a few hours for the flavors to meld and deepen, for the millet to soak up the spices and chile. It was a great hit with DH, who had 2 huge bowls (couldn't finish the second!) and it will be a repeater. Next time I will cut way back on the liquid, up the chile powder and definitely add a grain- millet is perfect :) brown rice would be good, too- the soup needs the substance, IMO.

We added Cheddar instead of Manchego and didn't used any tortillas (did it call for any? I can't remember..).

Oh, and the Oatmeal Molasses Bread made this to serve with- DELICIOUS! I ate way to much bread- it is SOOOO good!

[emily]

I'm planning on making this in my crockpot, soaking the beans over night and then starting it cooking in the morning, it will probably have around 10 hours to cook.

Those who've made it and/or other bean soups in crock pots, will this be enough time for the flavors to meld? Or should I make it the day before I plan to serve it (still in the crock pot) and just warm it the day of?

TIA :)

Emily

[mochadelsol]

I have one suggestion, I don't know how much of a difference it would make. I would bring the beans to a boil, then put into the crock pot.

[emily]

Thanks for the suggestion, will do. I was thinking about starting them on high for one hour, but will just soak them in a pan and then bring that to a boil before adding to the crock.

This board is so helpful :)

Emily

[Leisa M]

Originally posted by emily
it will probably have around 10 hours to cook.


TIA :)

Emily


10 hours should be plenty if you are soaking the beans first. Or you could make it in the crockpost and start it cooking the night before (or 12 hours before) you plan to serve it. Just let it cook on high for an hour then on low the rest of the time. :)

Soups always tastes better as leftovers, unless you spice them up some.

[maxeesmom]

I picked up this neat trick using my crockpot to soak dry beans-Its the only way I do it now even if I'm not using the c-pot to make the recipe! I usually use two pounds of dry beans so adjust accordingly after rinsing and sorting the beans I add them along with about 9 cups of water to c-pot turn it on high for about 2 hours turn it off and let it sit. I usually do this one morning then rinse the beans and go on my merry way with the recipe the next morning :D

[Leisa M]

Thanks for the tip maxeesmom. That sounds really easy. I will have to remember that myself.:)

[Kimba]

I made this yesterday, and soaked the beans overnight, boiled, let stand, etc. I then proceeded to put it in the crockpot. I cut down the liquid called for a bit, as I figured there wouldn't be a lot of evaporation going on. After 8 hours, the beans still weren't cooked properly. I ended up pouring it into a Dutch oven and cooking it at fairly high heat on the stove for an hour to finish it off.

Now, those glitches out of the way, this is a real keeper. We loved it. Low fat, high fiber, low WW points, and cheap...er... economical - ain't nothin' better :)

Kimba

[Leisa M]

Kimba in a crockpot longer is better. Maybe you should have cooked for 9-10 hours instead of 8 hours.

[emily]

I used maxeesmom's crock pot soaking method, except that my beans were on high for 3 hours - quite accidently. At the end of this they were already pretty soft. I still let them soak over night. This morning I combined the beans, their juice, and the rest of the soup ingredients in my stock pot (I doubled the recipe, so I needed the space), brought it to a boil and let it simmer for about an hour total (boiling and simmering time). I've got it in the fridge now and will reheat for dinner this evening. It smelled great. I'll let you know how it actually tastes tomorrow :D

Thanks for the soaking tip maxeesmom, I think for the first time I will actually have soft beans after starting with dried.

Emily

[aggie94]

Yum, this was delicious! And perfect for the cool weather we've been having this week.

After reading this thread, I decided to cut back on the liquid and used 4 cans of chicken broth (a little shy of 8 cups) without any additional water. I added a chopped chipotle chile from a can of chipotles in adobo, and it occurred to me just now that I forgot the cheese, so I left that out too. :o After my first disastrous experience working with dried beans, I was so relieved when this turned out fine. I served it with some cornbread muffins (Jiffy mix, with a can of Mexican-style corn thrown in).

This morning, however, I went to portion out some leftovers to take for lunch today, and it's considerably thicker than it was last night. Maybe a little too thick. I think maybe one more cup of liquid would have been perfect, but perhaps it will thin out when I warm it up again.

[eclairma]

I agree, this is one of the best soup recipes I've made. I used dried kidney beans. Also, I thought it would work in the crock pot. Bad idea. The beans weren't cooked enough after all day on low so I ended up finishing up on the stove. When I make it again, I'll use canned beans and it'll be awesome and easy in the crock pot. I also cut down on the liquids and it came out like chili - fantanstic!

[shscharles]

I just got around to this today...I've been following the thread and the best thing I've gotten from the BB lately was the tip about Heavenly Ham! I dropped by and picked up a ham bone last night ($4.00, a real bargain!)and while cutting the ham off (I gleaned two cups of ham chunks from it) decided to make full use of it and instead of chicken broth called for in the recipe, I'm making ham stock from the bone. The house smells divine and I'm on my way to a terrific soup. Thanks everyone for all the input! If it tanks, I'll let you know, but I think we've got a winner here!:)

[greysangel]

Chiming in late, but this soup is FANTASTIC! Loved the smoky flavor and it is certainly hearty enough for us for dinner. I'm already looking forward to leftovers!

JeAnne

[mochadelsol]

Also wanted to chime in again on this one. My DS has requested that I fix this once aweek so he can enjoy it everyday, no problem I say:rolleyes: :)

[JHolcomb]

Mmmmmmm...made this for lunch and it was really, really good. It only took about an hour to make from start to finish (soaked beans overnight and used my pressure cooker) and tasted great. I did make 3 minor changes, though. I omitted the 2 cups of water in the recipe because I was afraid it would make my pressure cooker too full. I thought I'd need to add in it later, but I didn't. It was fine with just the 8 cups of broth. I also did not have any of the whole peppers listed in the recipe, so I subbed Penzey's ground chipotle powder (how much??I have no idea, but probably a lot because we like it hot---my guess is about 1 tbs). And I also added some salt to the recipe after it cooked---thought it was lacking. All in all, a great recipe.

[jphilg]

I will add my name to the "mmmmm" team!

[kellywinnik]

I've been following this thread because I'm making this soup for the first meeting of the Sacramento Supper Club. We are all bringing beer or wine to accompany the soup we're making and I need a suggestion. Beer would be easy...Negra Modelo, Dos Equis, Pacifico or even Corona would work well I think. But I thought I'd ask if anyone would dare to pair a wine with this soup. I couldn't come up with anything and thought perhaps one of you would have an idea.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have! :)

[KValley]

Originally posted by kellywinnik
I've been following this thread because I'm making this soup for the first meeting of the Sacramento Supper Club. We are all bringing beer or wine to accompany the soup we're making and I need a suggestion. Beer would be easy...Negra Modelo, Dos Equis, Pacifico or even Corona would work well I think. But I thought I'd ask if anyone would dare to pair a wine with this soup. I couldn't come up with anything and thought perhaps one of you would have an idea.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have! :)

Hi Kelly,

IMHO this would be great with a peppery, spicy, youthful wine- California Zinfandel!

My favorite is Ravenswood Vintner's Blend -it's widely available (well goodness, you're in Sacramento- you could just take a drive north and get some from the source!!) and a great bargain- about $12-15 depending upon the vintage. I think the vanilla, cherry, raspberry notes would be lovely with the smoky, spicy chipotle and spices and hold their own without being overwhelmed by all that's happening in the soup.

Let us know what you decide!

[kellywinnik]

Thank you so much for the suggestion! I love the Ravenswood Zin and hadn't even thought of it. I don't mind experimenting at home w/ food and wine pairings but I'm not so comfortable when others may have to suffer through my potentially poor choices! Thanks for giving me a great idea. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[albus87]

Wow. I must have missed this thread all month. I'm so glad I saw it. I had not paid much attention to the black bean soup recipe but now I can't wait to make it. It will definitely be on next week's menu!

arta

[swquilts]

Wow, Wow and more Wow!!! This soup is just awesome. A chilly and very foggy day today prompted me to make this. I cooked it up this morning, made the bread and reheated for dinner. DH told me "this is definitely a keeper". He even suggested I make it for our small New Years Eve party.

Mmmmm...good stuff!

(PS: Like Ralph I added chipotle powder and I used a dried ancho chile)

[erin elizabeth]

Thought I would revive this old, long thread now that cold weather is approaching and because I made this soup last night for the first time. I really liked it. Used one chipotle in adobo, dried beans with the quick soak method, some frozen ham we had leftover, and cheddar cheese. Yum! After reading the thread, I might try pureeing or smashing some of the beans next time, but I really enjoyed it the way it was, too!

[funnybone]

Thanks for reviving this thread. I enjoyed this soup last year and really need to make it again soon! I had forgotten about that Oatmeal bread too. :o

[swquilts]

I have been waiting for it to cool down around here so I can make this again...yummmmmmmmm.

Too bad we'll be gone the next 2 weekends, dang it!

[bobmark226]

The mention of this one in several of the current soup threads got me to search for it and I made it yesterday. I'd bought a turkey ham chub in the morning to do a repeat of the October sweet potato hash, which I love, so I decided to use the rest of it for the soup.

With a thread this length, there were a lot of helpful suggestions for improving and, in fact, I never would have thought of using that languishing package of chipotle powder, which is what I wound up doing. I followed one poster in particular and reduced the broth by just one cup (7 total), but because I don't care for diced tomatoes, I used crushed and the combination of the two small changes made it quite thick. I did use two tsps. of the chipotle powder, and although I am a chilihead, at first I thought it was going to be too hot, but the tomatoes tempered the heat just fine so that it was quite hot, but never produced a sweat on my slick chrome dome, which is how I always test!

One other thing: I've never done the quick soak method of preparing beans and was somewhat skeptical. As it turned out, the texture of the beans was the best ever, so it's probably a permanent change in my cooking methods.

Thanks for all the thumbs up and add mine. Definitely a keeper.

BOB