Cuban Black Bean Soup - Uncle Bill's Version

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1/2 cup dried red lentils
• 1/2 cup dried brown lentils
• 2 cups water
• 2 (19 fluid ounce) cans black beans, include liquid
• 40 fluid ounces vegetable broth or 40 fluid ounces chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chicken soup base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup diced celery root or 2 large celery ribs, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped small (about 3 cups)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (paste of fresh chili)
• 4 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes or 4 tablespoons potato flakes

Recipe

• 1 rinse red and brown lentils in cold water.
• 2 in a medium size saucepan, add lentils and 2 cups of water and bring to boil.
• 3 reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 4 in a medium size cooking pot, add cooked lentils including liquid, black beans including liquid, broth, chicken soup base, cubed potatoes, celery root and bring to boil.
• 5 reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• 6 in the meantime, to a medium size frying pan, add butter, olive oil, chopped garlic and onions and saute' until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• 7 add onion mixture to soup pot.
• 8 add soy sauce, black pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, crushed oregano, 4 cups water and bring to boil.
• 9 add more water if soup is too thick.
• 10 reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• 11 remove about 1/3 of the soup into a bowl.
• 12 using an electric blender, blend and return to soup pot.
• 13 add sambal oelek and instant mashed potatoes; stir well to blend.
• 14 bring soup just to boil.
• 15 adjust seasonings to taste.
• 16 serve soup hot.
• 17 note: you can use dried black beans instead of canned.
• 18 you will require 2 cups of dried beans, soak overnight in water.
• 19 next day, drain and rinse.
• 20 canned lentils may also be used instead of dried, will require 1 (19 fluid ounce) can, include liquid.