Recipe: Black bean and chorizo soup with cumin toasts and salsa verde
Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8
Salsa verde
1 jalapeño, minced (remove the seeds and center for a milder flavor)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 packed cup Italian parsley
2 packed cups cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the jalapeño, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, parsley and cilantro until finely chopped. Remove to a small bowl; add the olive oil and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed. This makes a generous cup of salsa and will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
Cumin toasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 slices country white bread
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt and cumin. Brush the sliced bread with the oil and toast until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Black bean soup and assembly
1 1/2 cups chopped Spanish chorizo, about 6 ounces
1 1/2 cups chopped onion, about 1 onion
1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrots, about 2 carrots
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dried black beans, about 2 1/2 cups
6 cups water
2 fresh bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large (3 1/2 quart) Dutch oven or soup pot heated over medium heat, cook the chorizo, onion and carrots in the olive oil until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the beans, water and bay leaves and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the soup to a bare simmer over low heat, cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt, cumin, cayenne and black pepper after the first hour of cooking.
3. When the beans are soft, puree one cup of the soup in a blender or food processor, then add back to the pot. This makes about 8 cups soup. Serve the soup with a dollop of salsa verde and the cumin toasts. The soup will keep, refrigerated, for 5 days.
Each of 8 servings: 537 calories; 20 grams protein; 49 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 19 mg. cholesterol; 728 mg. sodium.
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