Cuban Black Bean Soup With Chorizo Sofrito
In the Caribbean, black bean soup is usually vegetarian, as the vegetables deliver plenty of flavor on their own. But we can’t leave a good thing alone, so we’ve added some chorizo to the sofrito vegetable mixture that tops off the soup (though you can leave it out for a meatless version). This soup takes time to develop flavor, so don’t rush it. It’s even better reheated after a day’s refrigeration.
Makes 8 servings
Soup
1 lb./455 g dried black beans, picked over for stones, rinsed well, and drained
1 yellow onion, quartered
½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 3 or 4 large chunks
6 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Sofrito
3 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz./225 g smoked chorizo links, cut into ½-in./12-mm dice
1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-in./12-mm dice
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-in./12-mm dice
6 ajís dulces chiles, seeded and minced (see note)
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro