Sunday Soup #80: Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo (or Linguiça)

For the second post in a row, I am featuring a soup from a cookbook rather than an online source. This one comes from a book called Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups, which was a gift thoughtfully given to me by my friend, Debbie. This recipe jumped out for its ease of prep and hearty ingredients! I made some alterations to the recipe right off the bat and, as such, will print my version of the recipe in this post for your evaluation...

This recipe came from: Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups by Cook's Illustrated (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Best-Soups-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/1940352800/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39E3B8KMEZVK&keywords=cooks+illustrated+all+time+best+soups&qid=1552358587&s=gateway&sprefix=cook%27s+illustrated+all+the+best%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1)

*Pic 1 - The cover of Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups

*Pic 2 - Pic of Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo from Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups

Recipe:

Ingredients
4 (15 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
11oz hot linguiça sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 white onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste
garnish with sour cream and/or shredded cheese, as desired

1. Process two cups beans and one cup broth in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds; set aside.

2. Combine oil, linguiça, onion, and bell pepper in Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth, scraping up any brown bits.

3. Stir in bean/broth purée and the remaining beans and simmer until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve hot.

Variations from Recipe as Written: The biggest change I made in this one was to use a hot Portuguese linguiça, instead of Spanish chorizo (which is what the original recipe called for). While the taste of Spanish chorizo is unique (and quite tasty), it is often dry (similar to an Italian dry salami) and can be tough if not cooked for long enough. As this soup cooked for less than 30 minutes total, I went for a spicy linguiça instead, which still added good flavor with a more tender sausage (i.e., the texture of the linguiça was closer to kielbasa than dry salami). In addition, the original recipe called for only 6 oz of meat, but I used 11 oz.

General Thoughts: As I mentioned, the prep on this one was SUPER simple... In fact, it could be the easiest soup of the whole project, so far, in terms of prep. I was lucky enough to again cook with my favorite sous chef, Lisa, and she even took care of what little prep there was (e.g., dicing the onion and bell pepper and slicing the sausage). From top to bottom, the prep AND cook time combined on this one barely totaled 30 minutes... It doesn't get much easier than that!!

*Pic 3 - Picture from when I made it

This soup was quite hearty (with the beans, sausage, and various veggies), and the puréed bean mixture gave the broth some "weight" and creaminess. Without the purée, I am afraid the broth would have been too thin and just wouldn't have had the same magic. The ratio of ingredients in my version of the recipe seemed just about perfect to me, so I'd not hesitate to use the same amounts again (particularly, the increased quantity of meat). The taste of this one was very solid, as well. Each bite was filled with tasty beans and sausage, and the taste of the spices and garlic jumped to the front of the flavor profile.

Potential Improvements? I think the only thing I'd do differently next time is add some salt and pepper directly into the pot. The recipe did not call for any added salt or pepper, except that people could add to their individual bowls. But, I really think this soup was begging for a little more salt overall than was ultimately contributed to the pot by the broth and sausage.

Polling the Fam: I thought this one was quite good and would definitely make it again. Becky thought it was okay and that it needed more beans (although, I think she scooped in such a way that she got more sausage and fewer beans than the rest of us). She also suggested that some potatoes would have been a welcome addition. Jayson enjoyed it, saying he thought it might be too spicy but that it turned out just right. Lisa liked it and said she'd have liked to try it with the Spanish chorizo instead of the linguiça. Hunter really liked it and said he wouldn't change anything; however, he did say it was at his limit for beans. And, even Fox said this one was pretty good.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)