Cuban Black Bean Soup (Sopa de frijoles negros)
Overview
Cuban black bean soup is a thick, dark and deeply savoury soup made from dried black beans cooked slowly until creamy. The flavour comes from a sofrito of onion, green bell pepper and plenty of garlic fried in olive oil, seasoned with cumin, oregano and bay leaf. Part of the beans are mashed to thicken the pot, and a splash of vinegar or dry sherry and a pinch of sugar balance it at the end. It is served topped with chopped raw onion, and often with white rice on the side. Some versions add a ham bone, but the classic home recipe is fully plant-based.
History
Black beans are a pillar of Cuban cooking, eaten almost every day with rice. The soup became famous outside Cuba through the Cuban community of Tampa and Miami, and restaurants such as the Columbia in Ybor City have served it for over a century. In Miami it is a standard dish at Cuban cafés and lunch counters, often ordered with a Cuban sandwich.
Main ingredients
Black beans, sofrito (onion, green pepper, garlic), cumin, oregano, bay leaf, vinegar. The soup is built on bean cooking water and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · More soups from Cuba
Recipe
Method
- 190 min
Simmer the drained beans with the water and bay leaves for 90 minutes until very soft.
- 210 min
Fry the onion, pepper and garlic in the oil for 10 minutes, then add the cumin and oregano.
- 3
Stir the sofrito into the beans and mash about a third of them.
- 420 min
Add the vinegar, sugar and salt and simmer for 20 minutes until thick.
- 5
Serve topped with chopped onion, with rice on the side.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 15m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
