Guatemalan Black Bean Soup
This authentic Guatemalan black bean soup is creamy, packed with flavour, and hearty enough for a meal. A mix of toppings make it extra fun and tasty!
Servings: 6
Calories: 336kcal
Cost: $8
Equipment
- soup pot
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried turtle beans
- 10 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion medium
Toppings
- 6 tablespoon sour cream or Mexican crema
- 6 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 6 tablespoon Queso de Zacapa or Mexican cotija or feta crumbled
Instructions
- Rinse the beans well. You don’t need to soak them overnight.
- Simmer the beans with the garlic, onions and salt in water until tender but not mushy (about 1 ½ hours)
- Remove the garlic cloves from the soup, reserving one clove. Puree half of the beans with the one clove of reserved garlic in a blender (or use an immersion blender) and add back into the pot.
- Add more water if needed to reach desired consistency of soup.
- Reheat until warm
- Top each bowl with swirl of crema, the chopped cilantro and sprinkle of cotija (or feta) cheese.
- Serve with a wedge of fresh lime and slices of avocado.
Notes
- Don’t be tempted to cut corners and use canned beans, the consistency and flavour of canned black beans are totally different and they contain more sodium.
- A popular variation is the addition of chicharron - crispy fried pork rinds - into each bowl of soup prior to serving. This adds a delicious burst of salty, smoky flavour.
- For extra protein, whisk a large egg and pour it slowly into the pot of simmering soup. Swirl it around so it cooks in ribbons rather like a Guatemalan version of egg drop soup.
- If you don't like cilantro, substitute an equal amount of thinly sliced green onion.
- Good substitutes for Guatemalan Queso de Zacapa which is a strong-flavoured, salty, aged dry cheese include Mexican cotija cheese, Greek feta or even parmesan cheese.
- Mix up the topping by adding chopped red onion, slivers of thinly-sliced radishes and corn chips as options.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 1183mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 4mg