Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
- 4 qt chicken stock
- 1 bunch celery, with leaves, chopped
- 1 pound carrots, chopped
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 large lemon, thinly sliced, then quartered
Instructions
Combine beans in large saucepan with enough water to cover by 1". Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute.Remove pan from heat, cover tightly and let stand 1 hour (or soak beans overnight in large bowl with enough water to cover by 1"). Drain. Combine beans in 5 qt Dutch oven or soup kettle with chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions and lemon zest. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is just below the surface of beans and ingredients are very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer soup solids in batches to food processor and puree. Transfer puree to large bowl and add cooking liquid (or puree solids and liquid to gether in blender). Return soup to Dutch oven. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until heated through. Place a lemon quarter in bottom of each bowl. Pour in soup and serve immediately. Makes about 3 quarts or 10 to 12 servings.