Is it just us, or has the cravings for soup already kicked in as the faint evening chill necessitates a hoodie or cozy robe? Chef Aja Tahari Marsh hooks us up with a delicious and relatively simple soup that will warm your cockles to the core and keep you energized (go go black bean protein!) and full (coconut milk keeps you from post-dinner snacking!) all day (or night!) long.
Spicy Coconut Black Bean Soup
INGREDIENTS:
2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-2 T fresh oregano, chopped or 2-3tsp. dried
1 tsp. sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-3 carrots, diced
1 bell pepper (red or green), diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 whole sprigs cilantro
2 cans black beans
2-3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 can coconut milk (taste of thai brand is best; lo fat or regular)
handful of cilantro, chopped
MAKE IT:
1. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in bottom of pot. Add onions, sautee until transluscent. Add garlic. Add oregano, 1 tsp. of salt, and cayenne. Sweat for 1 minute.
2. Add carrots, sautee for 2-3 minutes until carrots soften slightly. Add bell pepper, celery, and cilantro springs. Sautee for 1 minute.
3. Stir in beans and mix well. After combined, add all of the stock or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/medium low. Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
4. After the beans have simmered about 7-10 minutes, add half of the coconut milk, adding more until you have a consistency and flavor you like. Simmer covered for 20 or so minutes, stirring occasionally and testing for seasonings, and adding more stock/water/coconut milk to taste.
5. The soup is ready when the beans are very tender and melt in your mouth! (Though you could technically eat it after the coconut milk has mixed in and heated through).
Add other vegetables if you’d like, and be careful with the cayenne– it gets hotter as you cook it, so don’t add too much in the beginning– if anything, add it at the end!
Natural Foods Chef Aja Tahari Marsh’s food is inventive and vibrant, yet always approachable, with flavors ranging from the utterly familiar to the exotic. With a focus on slow food and sustainable products, Aja has a commitment to supporting local agriculture and businesses, working with high-quality, fresh, and in-season ingredients, including as many organic products as possible. Aja studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City, and works as a personal chef and caterer in NYC.