Black Bean"Cassoulet" Soup

* Exported from MasterCook *

BLACK BEAN "CASSOULET" SOUP

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Soups Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 lb Dried black (turtle) beans
1 1/4 c Best-quality olive oil
3 c Diced yellow onions
12 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Very meaty ham bone or 2
-smoked ham hocks
8 qt Water
3 1/2 tb Ground cumin
2 tb Dried oregano
3 Bay leaves
1 tb Coarse (kosher) salt
1 tb Freshly ground black pepper
1 pn Cayenne pepper
8 tb Chopped fresh Italian
-parsley
1 3/4 To 2 pounds fresh garlic
-sausage
6 Sweet Italian sausage links,
-cut into 1-inch pieces
6 Hot Italian sausage links,
-cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb Bratwurst, cut into 1-inch
-pieces
3 Medium-size sweet red
-peppers, cored, seeded, and
-diced
1/4 c Dry sherry
3 tb Dark brown sugar
2 tb Fresh lemon juice

From The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook.

" Our black bean soup is a Silver Palate staple. In
this recipe we've dressed it up with lots of hot and
garlicky sausages, sweet red peppers, a bit of brown
sugar, and unusual spices. This makes a meal when
served with a crisp, tart green salad."

Sour cream

1. Soak the black beans in water to cover overnight.

2. Heat 1 cup of the oil in a large heavy stock pot
over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute
until the onions are limp, about 10 minutes.

3. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the stock
pot. Add the ham bone and 6 quarts of the water.
Stir in the cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper,
cayenne, and 3 tablespoons of the parsely. Heat to
boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered at a
slow rolling boil for 2 hours, skimming foam from the
top and stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4. Place the garlic sausage in a medium-size saucepan
and add the remaining 2 quarts water. Heat to
boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40
minutes. Drain. Remove casings and cut into 1/2-inch
slices.

5. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy
skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausages
and saute until browned. Remove the sausages with a
slotted spoon.

6. In the same skillet, saute the bratwurst until
browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.

7. After 2 hours of cooking, process 2 cups of the
beans in a food processor fitted with a steel blade
until smooth and return to the pot. Continue to cook
for 30 minutes.

8. Add all the sausages and the red peppers and cook
for another 30 minutes.

9. Remove the ham bone from the soup, shred the meat
and return to the pot. Stir in the sherry, sugar, and
lemon juice.

10. Cook over medium heat until the beans are very
soft and the soup is thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in
the remaining 5 tablespoons chopped parsley. Taste
and adjust seasonings.

11. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and dollop each
serving with sour cream.

Makes 16 portions.

Posted by Kyosho Connick. Courtesy of Fred Peters.



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