Grey Skies and Citrusy Black Bean Soup

Citrusy Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

 

 
Grey skies excite me.

I know, it may seem odd but hear me out.It's the time between falling leaves and falling snow.

I'm not sure if it's the barren earth and leafless trees, but this time of the year forces me to look upward. Gazing at the heavens never leaves me disappointed.I see skies filled with drama and emotion. Light dances through the moody clouds and creates a beautiful sky-scape that's ever changing and ever perfect. Behind all of it, over and above, the light is always shining and the sky is always blue. Just like watching a movie, there's times you have to turn the brightness down so you can enjoy the show.I see nothing boring in grey. I see promise. I see an endless flowing concert in the sky.

 

 

So, with that brief introduction let me, in the same spirit, introduce you to my Black Bean Dish. Sounds like kind of an odd leap? Not really. At first glance it's a plate of beans, not much to get excited about, almost monochrome, much like the grey skies above. But, with a closer look, this recipe is as lucid as the sky. It's ever changing, ever evolving but always with the aromas and promises of a velvety dish. The citrus in this dish is much like the sun, popping out with hints of brightness, giving the dinner the background and foreground it needs. The jalapenos add the drama, and the cilantro adds the color we begin to miss these days.

   These citrusy black beans can fluctuate from a soup to a stew to a dinner. I've eaten it where the beans just begin to soften and there's still a wonderful, thin broth. As the liquids evaporate and the broth thickens, it's more like a stew. Finally, when cooked just before the beans are about to burst because they can hold no more flavor and there are just the beans and the meat, you have well, I'm not sure what you would call it actually...dinner.

This dish is wonderful alone. It's wonderful served with white rice.

It's hearty enough for a main dish but also can be a side too.

It's creamy and robust. No matter what shape it takes, what you add or take away from it, much like the grey skies above, it's ever changing and always perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

Citrusy Black Beans

Ingredients

1 lbs Dried Black Beans, soaked in water over night
1 Pkg Dried Chorizo Sausage (about 7 oz), sliced into bite sized pieces
1 Ham Hock or a couple Smoked Neck Bones
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Orange (Zested and Juiced) *about 1/2 Cup*
1/4  cup Dry Sherry *the real stuff, NOT cooking sherry*
2-3 Jalapenos, Seeded and minced
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano
1 32 oz Container Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1-2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Cilantro (to taste)

We will be using a stock pot, a dutch oven or some other cooking vessel that can hold all the beans and liquids.
Turn your burner to medium and place the onions and chorizo into your cooking vessel. The chorizo will sweat out all of its lovely color and oils and the onions will begin to absorb the chorizo's flavor and start to soften slightly.

As the onions begin to soften (about 5 minutes), add the minced garlic and the jalapenos.
Let the veggies cook for a minute or two more.
Add the sherry and let most of it evaporate.
Add the juice of an orange.

Add the chicken broth, the oregano, the bay leave and the ham hock.
Oh and don't forget to add the beans.

Let the soup come to a simmer.

Let simmer, uncovered for an hour or two, until the beans are soft and creamy and the soup is the consistency you want.
You may want to add a little more liquid if it begins to evaporate before the beans are cooked through. Use a little water or more stock.

When it has reached that perfect point and the beans are softened and velvety, it's now time to freshen it up a bit.
*How long you cook this is up to you. If you want more of a soupy dish, about an hour. Cook a little longer for a thicker consistency.*
Remove the ham hocks from the soup and remove the meat from the bone(s).
Discard the bones and add the meat back to the soup.
While simmering, we have concentrated and blended some beautiful flavors. But after cooking anything this long, you need to brighten the flavors just a bit. We want to add something fresh and bright and renew the citrus we initially added.
So now it's time to add the zest from your orange and a squeeze of a little more orange juice.
Add a splash of sherry.
Add a bit of chopped cilantro.
Stir and taste.
Make any adjustments you would like...salt, pepper..

And the plates once filled with beans,  clear up and the happy faces shine...

and the brightness spreads making for cheerful eaters AND cheerful bellies.

Eat well, my friends, always look up and enjoy the show.