Chorizo Black Bean Soup

Chorizo and Black Bean Soup

Mmmmm....a hearty bean soup, a favorite of my dear hubby and perfect for a cold winter day.  Chorizo Black Bean Soup takes extra preparation time, but it is worth every pot licking minute, lol.  We like our chorizo drained of grease, (see picture below), then added to the soup base to help bring out it's flavor.  The original recipe calls for frying the chorizo until crispy, reserving it, then adding it to your bowl right before you top with avocado cream. 

Chorizo Black Bean Soup is a modified recipe from Rachael Ray, 2007.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound cured chorizo, casing removed and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 cans black beans (14 ounces each), drained
3/4 to 1 quart chicken stock depending on desired thickness
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup regular or low fat sour cream
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup cilantro (about a handful), chopped
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium high heat add the olive oil and cook the chorizo, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove the chorizo from the pan and drain the grease.

Add the onion, garlic, paprika, serrano and jalapeno peppers, salt and pepper (to taste) to the pan and cook until the onions are tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the chorizo, black beans, cilantro and chicken stock to the pan and bring the liquids up to a bubble.

Ladle a couple of scoops of the soup into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Return the pureed soup to the pot and keep warm.

After pureeing the beans, rinse the food processor bowl out and return it to the base.  Remove the pit from the avodados and scoop them out into the bowl along with the sour cream, lime zest and juice and process until smooth.

Serve the soup topped with some avocado cream.

Ew!  This is what is leftover on the paper towel lined plate after the chorizo is drained.