Oaxacan Black Bean Soup

chia's Note:

this recipe is from rick bayless mexican kitchen cookbook. it's a bit different as it uses no additional spices and contains shrimp. it tastes even better the second day.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 12 ounces black beans , picked over
• 6 cups water
• 1 stalk fennel , chopped
• 4 -6 ounces chorizo sausage , casing removed,chopped
• 1 onion , diced
• salt , to taste
• pepper
• 3 chipotle chiles in adobo , chopped
• 12 shrimp , peeled and deveined
• ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or ½ cup cheddar cheese
• 1⁄3; cup oil , to garnish (optional)
• 4 -6 corn tortillas , cut in strips,to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. place beans in a 4 qt pot, cover with 6 c water, bring to a boil.
2. remove from heat and let it sit 1 hour, drain.
3. add beans back to the pot with 6 c water, bring to a boil, lower to simmer.
4. add chorizo, fennel, onions, chipoltes, partially cover the pot and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours.
5. use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or do it in batches in a blender.
6. add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes until done.
7. heat oil in a skillet.
8. add tortillas in batches, fry until crisp.
9. drain on paper towels.
10. serve the soup topped with tortilla strips and sprinkled with queso fresco.

Reviews

[mdargen]

I love this recipe. I think it is my favorite Rick Bayless recipe. Since I have a 4 year old daughter I have had to make some changes. I leave out the chorizo and chipotle. Instead of the chorizo I add chicken thighs to the beans when they are boiling and make a chipotle sour cream to add as a topper to the soup. I also serve chopped radishes, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, and chopped onions to spoon on as toppers. This soup is perfection!

[*Parsley*]

Superb! Despite having no typical spices, the flavor from the fennel and chorizo gives this outstanding flavor. This takes awhile to make, but it's worth the effort. Thanx for a great Mexican soup!

[sugarpea]

Never would have thought to combine shrimp with black bean soup but it's a wonderfully textural combination. I did miss my garlic at first but then I didn't wait 24 hours for the flavors to intensify and meld either.