I’ve had a lifelong Latin love affair with frijoles negros (black beans)—a dark and mysterious recipe that I just can’t get enough of. And once you’ve loaded a spoonful of my steaming hot Black Bean Soup topped with a cold dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of red onions and chopped cilantro, you’ll become a Latin lover, too.
Smoked ham is one of the keys to my Black Bean Soup. (All photos credit: George Graham)
There are several reasons my Black Bean Soup recipe is a consistent winner. First, is the quick sauté in bacon grease, a magical flavor addition to most any hearty dish. And if that weren’t enough smoke and pork-infused flavor, I add smoked ham hocks for the tantalizing taste and the meaty morsels that infuse the pot.
Bijol Seasoning is sold in most Latin groceries.
And finally, I season my soup—and most any Latin-inspired dish—with a shake of Bijol. If you haven’t discovered this little South-of-the-border trick, pick up a small can of it at your neighborhood Latin grocery. You’ll find a variety of uses for it.
Pair a bowl of this soup with my Cajun Cuban Sandwich and discover a spicy combination.
- 3 tablespoons bacon grease
- 2 cups diced red onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Bijol seasoning
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 pound dried black beans
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 smoked ham hock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream, for garnish
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
- Lime wedges
- In a large pot with a heavy lid over medium-high heat, add the bacon grease and sauté 1 cup of the onions and the celery just until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, Bijol, and lime juice. Add the beans along with the chicken stock and ham hock, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until the beans are tender and the meat from the hock is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
- Remove the ham hock and debone. Discard the fat and bone, and return chunks of the meat to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, diced onions and cilantro leaves. Serve with wedges of fresh lime.
Spicy and creamy, this Black Bean Soup recipe is easy.
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Hey George,
Always enjoy your recipes. Have an autographed copy of your cookbook.
For this recipe you don’t have to soak beans prior to cooking? (don’t see it mentioned)
Thanks,
DH
David – To soak or not to soak…that is the question. Some folks soak to reduce cooking time, and then there are those who soak to reduce gas. But there is an increasing number of cooks who think that soaking is unnecessary and only washes away some of the vital nutrients (riboflavin, thiamin, and folic acid) in beans. All debatable. In this recipe, I opt not to soak, and I can assure you the outcome is very tasty. All the best.
My husband is from Cuba so this Cajun girl has learned to cook Cuban and I love it. I’ll definitely pick up a can of Bijol now!
George, I prepared this dish as a side at my cooking club, Ancient Order of Southern Gourmets in Covington La. and boy was this a home run……oh, I did not soak my beans….
Hey Chris- Thanks for letting us know of your black bean success. All the best.
Oh, one more thing, I had La. Jasmine rice as an option and give a couple of dashes of yellow mustard to the beans prior to serving also as an option…..YUMM!
This is fabulous, even if I took a bit of license in executing it. I used canned beans, and I’m still looking for the Bijol seasoning. I had a bunch of frozen smoked pork neck bones so I cooked them in the crock pot. There’s a lot more meat on the neck bones. It’s a bit more work to do it separately, but I have extra frozen pork stock and smoked pork ice cubes for the next batch, which is just around the corner.
Hey William- I like your thinking. Any guy who has “smoked pork ice cubes” is a first-class cook, for sure. All the best.
George, they take up a lot less room in the freezer that way plus they’re ready to go. Almost anyway. They’re right beside the grated tomato ice cubes waiting to join them in a pot of beans or such.