Cuban Black Bean Soup

3  (15 oz) cans of no-salt added black beans, undrained
2 (13 3/4 oz) cans low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cup water
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt added chopped tomatoes, undrained. 
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1/4 lb.  extra lean cooked ham, diced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Combine first 6 ingredients in a large Dutch oven; bring mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
2.  Add tomato and remaining ingredients to bean mixture.  Cook, uncovered, over low heat 30 additional minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Hmmmm....Hubby and I loved this recipe.  Hubby says "let's have this again".

Sonya's Drunken Kielbasa Soup

Making a soup base:

All of my soups start out with onions, garlic and other vegetables sauted in olive oil, then I add the meat and the liquids and spices.  Often it is made up according to what we have in the house.  I think this is how soups were made a long time ago as well.  Keep those left over peas, corn, beans and put in the freezer, even if it is just a little bit.  Works well to throw in soups later.

When creating a soup or sauce, I have been taught to find a balance between, tangy, sweet, salt, and heat.  You want a perfect blend that is pleasing to the palate.  Always add a little sugar, not too much salt, add some vinegar to give it the tangy edge, and a little bit of pepper to taste.  Just a few pepper flakes and a dash of hot sauce does NOT make a soup too hot to eat, as long as you don't add too much.  So experiment with the sauce and taste it as you can and adjust as needed to find the right blend for you.

This soup I made this week turned out pretty special I thought.  It is probably the favorite of all I have made. So I took careful notes on what I added.  I added a 1/2 bottle of beer to this one and it really enhanced the flavor.  Therefore, I'm calling it Drunken Kielbasa Soup!  lol  Here is the recipe.  Keep in mind since I just throw things in, I don't always know exact measurements so I'm giving my best guesses here to recreate my soup.


Drunken Kielbasa Soup

Ingredients

1/2 Package of Kielbasa
32 oz. can of Chicken Broth
1 14.5 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
1 16 oz. can of black beans
1 can of water
6 oz. beer (I used Corona)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1/2 green pepper finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
11/2 tablespoons sugar
couple of shakes of red pepper flakes
2-3 dashes of hot sauce
2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Your favorite Seasoning Blend*

*My seasoning blend was  "Every Day Seasoning" by Trader Joes.  It had the following in it. And I added a few good shakes.

Sea salt
Dry mustard
Black peppercorn
Coriander
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Paprika
Chili Pepper


Directions: 

Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil in a large dutch oven pan until the onions are no longer firm.  Add the green peppers and cook for a minute or two.  Then add celery and kielbasa and cook for two to three minutes until the kielbasa cooks down some, while stirring.  Then add tomatoes and 1 can of water, chicken broth, and beer.  Then add remaining ingredients and spices (except add beans toward the end).  Bring to a boil.

Once it boils, cover and put it on medium or low to simmer for a while.  I cooked mine for over an hour.  Add the black beans about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.  You could make rice or noodles on the side and serve this dish over either one.

The flavors blended well and was even better on the 2nd day when we had leftovers!

Enjoy!