Email to Cat      

Black Bean and Macaroni Soup

Source of Recipe


From "Lee Bailey's Soup Meals" by Lee Bailey






List of Ingredients



• 1 cup dried black beans
  
• 8 cups chicken stock (approximately)
  
• 2 small bay leaves
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes (not in paste)
  
• 2 Tbsp red wine
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
  
• 1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni
  
• 2 very large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and cut into medium dice
  
• Garnish: Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and green onion
  






Instructions



1. Wash and pick over beans. Cover with an inch of water and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 2 minutes and turn off heat. Allow to sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain beans and cover with 3 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to a simmer. Add bay leaves. Simmer until the beans start to get tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until wilted and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so. Scrape the onion-garlic mixture into the beans and add the tomatoes. Continue cooking, adding more stock if necessary, until beans are done. This can take up to another hour. Add wine, sugar, pepper and balance of stock.
   
   
3. To serve, boil macaroni in very well salted water for 6 minutes. Drain, and add to the bean mixture along with the diced red pepper. Simmer just long enough to completely cook the macaroni. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. This probably will not need salt, but correct seasoning, if necessary. If you have cooked the soup too rapidly, you may have evaporated too much of the liquid. In that case, add a bit more stock. However, this should be a very thick soup. Sprinkle with chopped flat-leaf parsley and green onion, if desired.
   
   Serves 6