Black Bean Soup with Poblano Chiles
This soup comes together very quickly , especially if you use canned beans. It's warming and full of nutrition, too!
Ingredients
- 2 poblano chiles
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion about 1½-2 cups
- 8 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes use fire-roasted if you like
- 1 large dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeds removed
- 4 cups chicken broth homemade, store-bought, or vegetable (more if you choose to cook the beans in the soup rather than before ... see notes and instructions)
- Salt to taste
- 2 14.5-ounce cans black beans or 4 cups home cooked beans (See notes)
- ½ cup queso fresco or feta cheese
- lime wedges for serving
Instructions
THREE WAYS TO CHAR THE POBLANO CHILES:
- Broil them under the oven broiler on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet, turning occasionally until blackened, about 8-10 minutes.
- OR Put them on a very hot grill, turning consistently until they are blackened.
- OR If you have a gas stove, put them right on the grate over the flame and turn them as they blacken.
- Once they are charred, transfer them to a bowl, cover, and let them steam 15 minutes. Peel, seed, and finely chop. Set aside.
TO MAKE THE SOUP:
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil, then the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft 15-20 minutes. Reduce the heat if browning starts to occur. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Transfer the onions and garlic to a blender jar. Add the tomatoes and ancho chile and blend till smooth. (Alternatively, you can add the tomatoes and ancho chile to the pot and blend with an immersion blender.)
- Return the tomato mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until thick, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the broth and season with salt.
- IF you are using soaked, uncooked black beans, add them now. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the beans are tender. This could take 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the bean and how long they soaked. Check occasionally and add more chicken broth as needed. Just before serving, increase the heat and allow the soup to thicken slightly, 10-15 minutes, then add the poblano peppers.
- IF you are using canned beans or soaked, cooked beans, add them 5-10 minutes before serving, along with the charred poblano peppers, just to warm them through, 5-10 minutes
- Serve soup topped with queso fresco (can sub feta) and limes alongside.
Notes
Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.
If you want to cook the beans in the soup, allow 1-2 hours of cooking time, and have extra chicken broth on hand. The uncooked beans will absorb a lot of the soup's liquid so you'll need more.
To arrive at 4 cups of home cooked beans, soak a pound of black beans overnight, and cook on the stovetop for about an hour, or in an InstantPot for 20 minutes. Drain before adding to the soup.
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