Black beans are cooked with chicken and beef broth, then pureed, returned to the broth and served with white rice and a sprinkling of sherry in this homemade soup.
INGREDIENTS (for 6 servings):
- 1 cup dry black beans
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1/2 pound smoked ham hock
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- 1 small red onion, diced
PREPARATION:
Place beans in a large bowl and cover with several inches of water. Let soak 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse beans and place in a large pot over medium heat with beef broth, chicken broth, ham hock, onion, carrot, parsley, garlic and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 to 8 hours.
Strain soup into a large saucepan, reserving bean mixture. Remove ham hock and discard. Puree bean mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir into reserved broth. Cook over low heat 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.
In the last 20 minutes of cooking, bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Ladle soup into six bowls. Top with cooked rice, a spoonful of sherry and a sprinkling of red onion.