Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin Crema and Three Relishes

Black beans are about as versatile a bean as any out there. And there are many, many varieties of black bean soup. But what makes this soup different are the toppings.

Bobby Flay says: I love this soup. The smooth black beans make a gorgeous canvas for the crema and relishes. This exciting dish has so many wonderful textures and flavors, and while you could just make the soup, you’d really be missing out on the beauty of this combination if you skipped the toppings, which are easy to put together. If, by chance you find yourself with any leftover soup, it makes a great dip, because it thickens when it cools.

I say: The soup is delicious and the toppings are wonderful. They just add so much flavor and interest to what is otherwise a good soup – now it’s great! If I have any complaint about this soup, or most of Bobby Flay's recipes, it's that they are too mild - not enough chiles. I'll spice them up a bit next time I make them. And I will definitely repeat this soup!

Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin Crema and Three Relishes
1 lb. dried black beans, or 6 c. (three 15.5 oz. cans) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs. olive oil
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 jalapeño chiles, roasted, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 poblano chile, roasted, seeded, coarsely chopped
4-6 c. chicken stock
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato-Serrano Relish (recipe follows)
Toasted Cumin Crema (recipe follows)
Avocado-Tomatillo Relish (recipe follows)
Grilled onion Relish (recipe follows)
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

If using dried beans, pick over them to remove any stones, put them in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse well.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.

Add the carrot, onion, and garlic and cook about 5 minutes.

Add the beans,

and reduce heat to medium.

Roasted chiles

 Add the chiles and chicken stock.

Simmer for 30 minutes if using canned beans, or 1 ½-2 hours if using dried,

until the beans are tender.

Remove from heat and add the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender or food processor, puree half the soup and return it to the pot (alternatively, use an immersion blender).

Bring to a simmer before serving. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Drizzle with the toasted cumin crema and top with a few tablespoons of each of the relishes. Serve immediately.

Toasted Cumin Crema (this was simply fabulous!)
8 oz. crema, crème fraiche, or sour cream
1 tbs. cumin seeds, toasted and ground (I didn’t have any, so I toasted a tablespoon of ground cumin powder. See note below)
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note about toasted spices: This is very common to lots of ethnic cooking, especially Indian. Put what you need in a cast iron pan or heavy skillet. Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the spice is fragrant and just starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute.

Put the crema in a small bowl, add the cumin and lime juice

and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato-Serrano Relish (which I didn’t make because you can’t get a ripe beefsteak tomato for love nor money in the winter)
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, finely diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix together.

Avocado-Tomatillo Relish (this was my favorite after the crema)
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
2 tomatillos, husked, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
3 tbs. finely chopped red onion
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
3 tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tbs. canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gently combine.

Grilled Onion Relish
1 large red onion, sliced ½” thick
2 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat grill to high or a grill pan over high heat. Brush the onion slices with the oil, season with salt and pepper. Grill about 4-5 minutes on a side until cooked through. Finely chop.

OK, I'll admit it. I didn't grill this onion. It was 20 degrees and snowing out, so I just sauteed it in the olive oil. But grilling would be better.

So have some fun with this! Try a store-bought or homemade salsa, or some toasted pumpkin seeds, or anything that you think would be delicious!