Rosie Spills The Beans.

As temperatures approach 100, Rosie finds herself making a hearty black bean soup.  I don't know why I wanted black bean soup, except I had black beans in the fridge from another dish I'd made the other day.  I've been having a fancy for black beans for a while.

Rosie's Black Bean Soup or Dip

It can be a soup or you can cook it longer so it thickens like a dip and serve with Tostitos.

2 cups cooked dried black beans, not canned

2 strips smoky bacon  I used Benton's.

3 cups homemade chicken consomée  (I will look the other way if you choose to use canned stock.)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 red pepper, chopped

1/4 green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Sprinkling of dried oregano

2 TB minced fresh oregano

2 tsp whole cumin seed

Prepare the bacon:

Scissor the bacon slices into small pieces.  Place in a small skillet, cover with water, and put on medium high heat.  When the water starts to evaporate, lower the heat.  Keep turning the bacon pieces so they cook evenly.  Drain on paper towels.

Prepare the aromatics:

Heat a medium pan over medium heat.  Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirl to heat, then sauté onion and pepper about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, both oreganos, and cumin.  Sauté one more minute. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, then purée.

Prepare the soup:

Take about a half cup of the beans and some of the stock and purée.

Add the puréed beans and puréed aromatics to stock pot along with rest of consommé, beans, and bacon.  Bring to a bare simmer and let the soup thicken and reduce a bit.  Maybe an hour.  Or two.  Always taste test as you go along.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.  Serve with cilantro, raw green coriander seeds, jalapeno slices, chopped red onion, and chopped  green, yellow, orange, and red peppers.  You'll have to grow your own cilantro to harvest fresh coriander seeds.

I find that boiling bacon results in more even cooking.
It also takes out some of the salt and smoke.

I love my infused olive oils.

I left the black bean concoction in Mr. Hawthorne's care while I went out with Youngest Hawthorne for my first kayak ride.

What fun!

 Two of Colington's finest ... 
I feel so safe in case of a house fire.  NOT.

Hearty black bean soup.

Smoky good!