Black Bean Soup with Cashew Cream and Coriander

Sadly I've been in a bit of a soup slump of late. But I did get around to making this soup this week. (Oops, or last year it seems- I forgot to post this). It caught my interest when I saw it in August 2016 at Kahakai Kitchen. I like the notion of an Australian recipe for a Mexican soup made by a Hawaiian, and now it's come back full circle to Australia. Naturally I modified the recipe a bit too.

I've never had black bean soup that I can remember, so I wasn't sure how this soup should really taste. Indeed black beans haven't really been easily available in Australia until this year, but now tinned black beans are available at the supermarket.

The colour isn't that pretty,
but it was pretty tasty

Master Soup deemed it to be like liquid burritos, and it basically was.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tins cooked black beans, drained, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
Stems from one bunch of coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Cashew cream

Salsa garnish:
Cherry tomatoes, chopped
Cucumber, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Corn kernels, fresh or defrosted frozen
Coriander leaves

Corn tortillas, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 1 minute, or until tender. Add the garlic and cumin and sauté for 1 minute, or until the garlic softens. Add the beans, coriander stems and chicken stock and bring to the simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavours.

Mix together ingredients for salsa

Set aside some of the black beans. Blend the rest of the soup until smooth. Wipe out the pot, transfer pureed soup back into pot and add the reserved beans. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with a splodge of cashew creme and salsa. Serve with tortillas.

Notes:
Cashew cream sounds difficult but it is very easy to make. Soak raw unsalted cashews in water for at least 4 hours until soft. Drain. Whizz soaked cashews in a blender with water to achieve your desired consistency.

This post is linked to Souper Sundays
(how perfect)
at Kahakai Kitchen