This recipe for black bean soup is not going to be so secret anymore, is it? I’m so excited to finally bring you one of our all-time favorite meal soups!
My sister gave me this recipe decades ago, having gotten it from a restaurant, under an agreement that it wouldn’t be shared. I have honored that agreement far longer than she expected. I’m thrilled that we have a new agreement that the secret status can be removed!
I’ve only made one change to the way this soup is made in the 20+ years I’ve had the recipe. Can you guess by the end of the post?
Ingredient mug shot: broth. So easy.
Homemade broths make the best soups, and this one is so very simple. I always toss my onion, celery, and carrot trimmings into a ziptop bag in my freezer. These trimmings find their way into most broths that I make. I call that bag the “Broth Bag” and keep it handy!
Ingredient mug shot: soup. Looks more like a family photo than a mug shot! And yes, the ketchup is supposed to be there.
Surprised by that ketchup? Well, don’t be. Tomatoes simmered down with a bit of sugar, spices, and vinegar accomplish what you could do yourself, but don’t need to! Give yourself permission to follow the recipe as is. Ketchup is as much a part of our American pantries as ready-made broths, dry seasoning blends, and commercially-baked sandwich bread. Just do it!
Hint: ketchup is not the change I’ve made. Ketchup is included in the original restaurant recipe!
I’d like to tell you I have at least once made this by soaking and cooking dried black beans. Alas, I’m addicted to the ease of canned beans. I love that low- or no-sodium beans and tomatoes are available; that was not true when I first started making this recipe. I was younger then, but appreciated less salt in those days just as much as I do now. Low-sodium beans and tomatoes work wonderfully well in this soup, and of course dried beans that have been soaked and simmered would also. Old habits die hard, though, and I almost always drain and rinse at least part of the canned beans.
Ingredients heating up in the steamy broth…
Hint: the original recipe calls for your choice of dried or canned beans, so using canned beans is not the change I’ve made to the recipe. Using dried beans will make the soup somewhat thicker, it says. I wouldn’t know!
I like to use smoked ham hocks, as the recipe calls for, when making this soup because there is a lot more meat on them than the smoked neck bones I have sometimes used. If all I can find is the neck bones, I will add some small-dice ham for added protein if I feel like it. If I’m feeling rich, I’ll even buy pre-diced ham. Spoiled me! Otherwise, I’ll look for some leftover ham in the freezer, or buy a ham “steak” to cut up.
Hint: subtituting neckbones for hocks is my own subtitution idea discovered once because of necessity, but not the change I am teasing you about.
- 1 - 2 smoked ham hocks (can substitute smoked pork neck bones) Total weight 1.5 to 2 lbs.
- 3 cloves garlic, halved; no need to peel
- onion skins/ends and celery leaves/trimmings (a big handful, optional)
- 1 gallon water (4 quarts, 16 cups)
- 1/2 large onion or one small, diced (1 c. to 1.5 c.)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or put through a garlic press
- olive oil for pan
- 4 cans undrained black beans (15 oz each) or 2 lbs dried black beans, soaked and cooked
- 2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped or one 15 oz can petite-diced tomatoes
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped (1 c. to 1.5 c.)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (remove seeds and ribs to reduce heat; add/subtract quantity to taste)
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 c. ketchup (YES! ketchup!)
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried mustard powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (and possibly more later, to adjust flavor)
- 2 bay leaves
- ground cayenne pepper (red pepper) to taste
- salt, cayenne, cumin
- Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Place halved garlic cloves, rinsed ham hocks, optional onion/celery scraps into large (6 qt. to 8 qt.) stockpot with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes. If you check on it during this time and notice some garlic cloves floating, smash them in for extra flavor!
- Remove ham hocks and set aside. If desired, cool broth for safer handling. Strain broth into another large pot or two large bowls; discard solids. Optional: chill broth overnight to defat, or use a defatting pitcher.
- Saute chopped onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent but not browned. Add this, with broth and all remaning ingredients to a large (8 qt.) stockpot.
- Bring to gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour or until carrots are tender.
- Meanwhile, remove meat from ham hocks and dice. Add meat to soup during final 10-15 minutes of cooking. Adjust seasonings.
- Serve with sour cream -- I like a spoonful on top, and sometimes some fresh cilantro.
- Note: prep soup ingredients while broth is simmering to save time.
- Freezes well; partially thaw then heat slowly.
Meanwhile, I was busy getting this stuff ready…
By the way, you can’t make this soup with anything other than smoked pork hocks or neck bones because then it wouldn’t be this soup. You know? So this Secret Recipe Black Bean soup isn’t for everyone. But I hope it is for you! You will love it! I do wonder how it would be with smoked turkey wings, though. Hmm…
The big reveal — my one change to this recipe from the original… Here it is! Don’t be disappointed. The only thing I ever changed was to add the onion and celery scraps from my Broth Bag to the broth-making step of this soup. But if you don’t keep a broth bag in your freezer, don’t worry about it. Either way, you’ll have an amazing (no-longer-) Secret Recipe Black Bean Soup!
Happy cooking!
Gail
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