Hearty Cuban Black Bean Soup

For day # 26 of Soup Month we bring you a Miami version of Cuban Black Bean Soup.  When cooking with black beans, or beans of any kind, you have to plan ahead.  Some recipes will require that you soak the beans overnight but for this recipe, we skip the soaking method and instead cook the beans in chicken stock so the flavor is cooked into the beans for optimal flavor.  This soup is worth the extra effort!

1 lb  Black Beans, rinsed
4 cups  Chicken Stock
4 cups  Water
2  Bay Leaves
1 TB  Cumin
1 TB  Oregano
1  Large Sweet Red Pepper, cut in half  (leave 1 side whole, the other portion finely chop)
2 tsp  Olive Oil
1  Large Yellow Onion, chopped
1  Large Green Pepper, finely chopped
4-6  Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 cup  Sugar
1/4 cup  Red Wine
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Chopped Fresh Cilantro for Garnish

Pour rinsed beans into a large soup pot with chicken stock and water.  Add bay leaves, cumin, oregano and the whole piece of red pepper.  Cook over high heat and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes.  Cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are tender.

Remove the red pepper and discard.  In a small skillet saute the onion, green pepper, and the chopped red pepper in olive oil, until the vegetables are softened.  Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, then add the puree to the black beans.  (**Note:  As an option you can add a few scoops of the black beans to the mixture and then puree it.  I liked the consistency of having some of the beans whole and some pureed.)

Using the same skillet, saute the garlic until fragrant, the add the garlic to the beans.  Add sugar, red wine and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue cooking over medium heat until the soup is very thick, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve in large flat soup bowls and add a sprinkle of cilantro as a garnish before serving, if desired.