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White and Black Soup





Yields
Makes 8 cups, 4 servings

Notes: This recipe has been adapted from Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook, by Katharine Kagel (Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1993).

 2 cups (14 oz.) dried white beans such as Flageolet, Cannellini, or White Aztec
 1/2 pound diced smoked bacon (preferably applewood-smoked)
 1/4 cup minced fresh serrano chilies
 1/2 cup minced onion
 1 cup brandy
 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  About 1 cup cooked black beans, heated
  Finely chopped fresh cilantro
Step 1
1

Sort beans for debris, then rinse. Bring beans and 2 quarts water to a boil over high heat in a 5- to 6-quart pan. Cover, boil for 2 minutes, and remove from heat. Beans are ready to cook after soaking for 2 hours, but are more digestible after 4 hours. Drain and rinse beans.

Step 2
2

In a 6- to 8-quart pan, bring 7 cups water and beans to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 45 minutes.

Step 3
3

Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir bacon often until browned, about 5 minutes. Lift bacon from pan; drain on towels.

Step 4
4

Discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from pan. Add chilies and onion; stir often until onion is brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in brandy.

Step 5
5

Add mixture to beans, plus bacon, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 30 minutes.

Step 6
6

Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon black beans on top of soup. Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

0 servings

Serving size

Amount per serving
Calories596
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17g22%

Saturated Fat 5.4g27%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 320mg14%
Total Carbohydrate 73g27%

Dietary Fiber 11g40%
Protein 32g

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.