Crash's Vegetarian Voodoo Black Bean Soup

Scoville rating: 100 (approximate)

CAUTION: As prepared in this recipe, this Voodoo Black Bean Soup is quite spicy (not evilly spicy, just quite)... you're hereby warned.

CAUTION: if you use a pressure cooker, there are explosion hazards while cooking black bean soup. Fill the pressure cooker no more than 2/3 full, and make sure the pressure relief valve is unobstructed. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES when cooking this way!

You have been warned...

Ingredients for 8 servings as a starter soup

• 1 bag (1 lb, about .5 kg) dried black beans
• 3 cups (about 1 liter) cold water
• one very large onion (or 2 big ones), slivered
• one very large yam (or 2 medium size ones), cubed to the size of a fingernail
• one red pepper, slivered
• one green pepper, likewise slivered
• four cloves garlic, or a big spoonful of garlic powder
• a shot of olive oil
• a bit of sea salt
• cajun spices, if you like them.
• sour cream
• shredded cheese (pepper jack is good)

How to make it:

Put the cold water and the beans into the pressure cooker, and put in a shot of olive oil. Cook at maximum heat until the safety valve starts to dance, then reduce heat to hold at "barely dancing" pressure for 20 minutes. (if no pressure cooker, boil for 2-3 hours, adding water to make up for losses). The beans are cooked enough when you can crush them easily between finger and thumb.

Get out the blender. Spoon about 2/3 of the beans into the blender container, and add enough of the hot water to half fill. Blend till it's smooth and creamy (will take a few minutes). Beware splashes.

Put the blended beans back in.

Add the slivered onions and cubed yams.

Put the pressure cooker back on the heat, cook 10 minutes at 15 PSI (40 minutes if not on pressure). Again, don't count time coming up to pressure, keep the control valve barely dancing.

Turn off the heat, relieve pressure.

Add the cajun spices, slivered red and green peppers and the garlic (mashed).

Simmer 5 minutes, salt to taste.

Serve with sour cream and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Amazingly satisfying... spicy but with a very nice body and good nutritional values.

Back to my home page