This is an excellent soup! As a base I'd give it 5 stars. However stand alone unless you like the flatter side of foods small adjustments to this recipe are warrented. In my second batch I used black beans from dry and added 1/4 tsp crushed cumin seed 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 2 1/2 cloves (1 1/2 tsp) minced garlic and a 1/4 tsp of cajun seasoning. Redundent? It was WONDERFUL. I'd also strongly recommend using the chicken stock. Finally I threw 5 sliced medium button mushrooms an extra (1) cup of black beans (after the blending) and 1/2 cup chopped onions for added body and mouth feel. The recipe as is is very good and it WIDE OPEN for your own added tastes.
This is a delightful soup and very easy to make! I found this recipe while looking for an idea of what to make with some excess black beans (from dry) I had made for some empanadas. I do agree with the other reviews that it is best used as a base. Since this was a last minute addition to my meal and I did not have the peas on hand I used extra black beans (I think this may have been an aesthetic improvement as I noticed some of the other reviews stated that it had an odd color that I did not notice) and did add some of the leftover sauteed onions I had already made (seasoned with cumin chili powder and a pinch of cinnamon). I used vegetable broth rather than a chicken stock to make it a vegetarian soup and I threw in a few dashes of corn meal to thicken it up a little. Then I took the suggestion from previous reviewer and added some sauteed mushrooms along with about a tablespoon of chili powder and some minced garlic to spice it up some. Finally I topped it with chopped fresh cilantro and squeezed some of the excess lime juice right on top before serving (feta or cotija cheese or even some creme friache would have also been a good garnish for this soup if I'd had some). My family loved it and it went really well with the black bean and cheese empanadas. Thanks!
Ugly but delicious! I would give it 5 stars if I were rating it based on the additions of the best-rated reviewer (cumin cayenne garlic cajun seasoning) but I think it still merits 4 as-is and I hope the rating is good enough to get people to look! Sauteed onions and mushrooms are great think I'll try adding some celery to make it taste a little lighter. I've made it at least a dozen times always tweaking the spices never disappointed!
I really really liked the unusual flavor of this soup but hubby wasn't completely won over. I am out of broth so I added a tbp or so of chicken base to 2 cups of warm water. I did take Beaner's suggestion to add cayenne cumin & mninced garlic & I let this simmer longer than called for to really fuse the flavors. Wasn't sure whether I should drain my beans so I did just in case. I used my immersion blender to puree. (If you do soups you gotta get one!) I swirled a bit of cream in the bowls then ran a knife through the cream to add a little interest. My one complaint w/ the soup? It's not a very appetizing color so it's not something I would serve to guests. I served this as a first course to jerk-seasoned pork medallions w/ Spicy Pineapple Sauce (from allrecipes) jasmine rice w/ chopped bell peppers & coconut lime sorbet for dessert.
I made this recipe once as is (but with plain black beans) and it was fairly bland so this time I took other reviewers' suggestions and added cumin cayenne Cajun seasoning and garlic and I used vegetable broth and it was much better. I liked the flavor better before I blended it though. Before it was blended I could really taste the coconut but the peas overpowered the coconut once the soup was pureed. Plus I wasn't crazy about the texture--there were lots of pea husks. Next time I'll blend the soup before adding the peas. Bonus points for simplicity and ease of preparation.
I too made this from dry beans with my own spices otherwise I followed the recipe as posted. This soup is fantastic! My favorite soup to date. My hubby who is not a soup person asked for seconds and to take some to work for lunch the next day. This soup is going to be a regular at our table.
Even better than expected! Preparing the recipe as written results in a very tasty soup there is also a lot of room for customization. My husband suggested adding some spiciness to it; I would also like to try adding some more texture after the base is pureed.
Freakin' yummy. I cooked my own beans at home and threw in a little chili powder and cumin. I also used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Really really good.
This soup is quite good but I think could be even tastier with additional spices. I started by sauteeing chopped onion and carrot and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. I think the recipe could use some other spices as well.
Thank you for sharing this recipe however my family didn't care for this soup at all.
