Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soups               

 tags (edit): Winter @Try Soon! @Vogel Soup  

 

This two-in-one soup is beautiful to behold and tastes as good as it looks. It's impressive, yet ridiculously easy to prepare. If you'd rather use freshly cooked black beans, start with 1 1/2 cups of dried beans. You can use the bean cooking liquid instead of water to prepare the bean soup.

Ingredients

-- BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP --
1/2 tablespoon Butter
1 each Onion diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 each Carrot diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 small Butternut squash diced (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon ground
1/8 teaspoon Allspice ground
to taste Salt
-- BLACK BEAN SOUP --
1 each Dried chipotle chile stemmed
3 cups Canned black beans drained, well-rinsed
1 cup Water more as needed
1/4 teaspoon Dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon Epazote (optional) dried, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Cumin ground
 

Instructions
 BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook until the onion is tender, 4-6 minutes.

Add the squash and enough water to cover by about 3 inches. Simmer, uncovered, until the squash and carrots are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the honey, cinnamon, and allspice and simmer, 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool, 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. (Thin the soup with a little water if necessary.)

Pour the soup back into the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

BLACK BEAN SOUP:
Grind the chipotle chile into a powder in a spice grinder. Puree the ground chipotle, beans, water, oregano, epazote, and cumin in a blender until smooth. Thin with a little additional water, if necessary.

Bring the soup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.

SERVING:
Simultaneously ladle equal amounts of the two soups side by side into a heated soup bowl. Serve immediately.

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Yields: 8 Servings
     CIA BOOK OF SOUPS, page 131

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