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A Brief History;
This soup displays some of the many cultures that have influenced Cuba over the years. Spanish and Carribean for sure. Smoked paprika and the use of a Mirepoix or Sofrito type vegetable seasoning that has it's roots in Spanish cuisine and now a mainstay in all of Caribean cuisine includint Peurto Rico and Cuba.
The citrus, cilantro, and peppers show the Caribean influence.
Black Beans are a favorite in Cuba. They have a richer flavor than other beans, It could be the longer time in the garden to maturity means they have more flavor components. Black beans originated in the South and Central America and have been cultivated for over 7000 years. So it is no mystery that they would easily get to Cuba.
What makes this Cuban style soup interesting is cooking the beans with orange halves in it.
The idea for chopped boiled eggs on top was an idea I got from somewhere. When your looking for extra protien for this meatless soup this works well.
Black Bean Soup in the United States;
I don't remember as a kid growing up in the 50's and 60's hearing about Black Bean Soup. I first heard about it in a Bon Apetit article in the 70's that featured an article about the Coach House Restaurant in Greenwich village. whose house soup was a black bean served with cornbread sticks that was suggested by James Beard, who could be frequently be seen eating there. I was so inspired by this article that I featured the cornbread sticks in my own restaurant as well as cooking the soup and other items from Coach House recipes. Many folks think that others culinarians were inspired by this article and it started appearing on menus all over the country. Of course there were probably many reasons as food from around the world became easily accessed with the internet.
Ingredients:
Black beans, 1 lb. soaked overnight or for a few hours then drained.
2 bay leafs
Sofrito;
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 jalapeño chopped fine dice
1 large white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quart water or vegetable broth plus more if needed
1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
juice of one orange + orange halves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 boiled egg per person
Other optional toppings;
Sour Cream
Fresh cut limes
Hot sauce
Jalapeño rings
Sunflower Shoots
Chopped cilantro
chopped green onion
Directions:
1. Put the beans and orange in a soup pot or a crock pot like I am doing here, add a quart of water or broth plus more to cover 4 inches above the beans and turn on long or short cooking time, your choice.
We need to saute the "sofrito" vegetables in a saute pan. Bring the oil to medium heat and add the garlic, jalapeño, smoked paprika and I put some cracked pepper corns in there but that is optional. Cook on medium heat until you can smell the aromas releasing.
Add the vegetables and cook on medium heat until semi soft. Add to the beans then add the tomatoes. Cook for several hours until beans are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the orange and puree half of the soup in a blender or with an Immersion blender then add back to the pot. This will thicken and give it a nice texture.
We garnished the soup with a chopped hard boiled egg, sun shoots and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. You can be very creative with garnishes that Cubans like to use, like lime wedges, cilantro, chopped green onions and sour cream.
Links
A Revised History of Black Bean Soup
with a Caribbean Spin
The History of Sofrito
All about Sofrito by the Spruce Eats
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