Black Bean Puree Recipes

BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Add the onions, garlic cloves and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown.
• Add the black beans, chicken broth, oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
• Purée the soup using a hand-held immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender to puree the soup in batches; see note.) Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.
• Note: If using a standard blender, purée the soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (It may thicken up a bit while in the freezer; if so, just thin it out with a bit of water or broth while reheating.)

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH BLACK BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the Salsa: In a small bowl mix together, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, juice, olive oil, hot sauce, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the Black Bean Puree: In a food processer, blend all ingredients together until smooth.
• To assemble: Stack tortillas on a cutting board. Using the bottom of the ramekin as a guide, cut 8 circles out of the tortillas. Spread the bean puree evenly on 1 side of each tortilla round. Place a round in each ramekin, bean side up. Crack 2 eggs into each of the 4 ramekins, followed by 1/4 cup of salsa, and 1 tablespoon each of Cheddar and jack. Cover with another tortilla round, bean side down. Do not jam the dishes with too much. The eggs will expand during cooking and overflow. Brush tops of each tortilla with butter and bake on a sheet tray for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cheese should be melted and golden on top. To serve, top with sour cream and salsa.

BLACK BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Puree two 14-ounce cans black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup each olive oil and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

BLACK BEAN PUREE WITH CILANTRO

Steps:

• Simmer the beans in water to cover with the onion, celery, carrot, tomatoes, garlic, chili, cumin and pepper for one hour. Season to taste with salt. Add more water if necessary and cook until tender.
• Puree the beans in two batches with their liquid in a food processor, adding enough of the chicken stock to make a smooth puree. Correct seasoning. Before serving, sprinkle the puree with cilantro.

TRADITIONAL NACHOS

Steps:

• Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a tabletop deep-fryer or in a Dutch oven with a deep-fry thermometer attached. Place a wire rack over a sheet pan for draining. Fry the tortillas in small batches until crisped and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Place on the rack to drain.
• Spoon the Black Bean Puree over the bottom of a large oval platter. Arrange the fried tortillas over the top. Spoon the Queso generously all over. Top with pico de gallo, pickled chiles, avocado and cilantro.
• Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, jalapeno, coriander and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the beans. Add the stock, crema and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Yield: about 4 cups.
• Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the flour until combined. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Switch to a whisk and slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Whisk in the salt. Switch back to a spoon and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and Jack cheeses. Turn the heat off and allow the cheese to melt. Stir until smooth. Yield: 6 cups.

BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
• Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
• Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.
• Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.
• Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.

TLAYUDA WITH BLACK BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using dried beans, add salt, pepper, garlic, onion, chili powder and cumin in the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and reserve liquid. Carefully place mixture in a blender or food processor with enough bean liquid to allow machine to do its work and roughly purée, leaving the mixture a bit chunky. If using canned beans, add seasonings and warm mixture gently in a saucepan, stirring, just to take the edge off the garlic and onion. Then roughly purée.
• Place 1 tortilla on pizza peel or baking sheet and spread half the bean mixture on it; top with half the cheese and half the meat, if using it. Bake (on pizza stone, if using) for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with half the cabbage. Bake another 5 minutes or so, until topping is hot and tortilla crisp on edges. Serve, cut into wedges, then repeat with other tortilla.