Brazilian Black Bean Soup
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Hi, guys!
First of all: Happy December! Can you believe it’s December already? It kinda freaks me out that life goes by so quickly… But at the same time it’s almost my favorite holiday: Christmas! Yay! I already started decorating a bit… (I wanted to do it sooner but my friend Linda forbade me saying I had to wait til after Thanksgiving and I obeyed like the good foreigner I am…)
Second, I haven’t seen you guys in a while (as in I only posted once last week!). We had a busy week last week with Thanksgiving – which was lovely! – and our weekend trip to Vermont, which was also lovely, but too quick. I wish I could have stayed in that winter wonderland for at least a whole week… But noooo! Time to get back to reality and to work. Ugh ugh!
So today it’s my first day taking the subway to work in 7 months because my husband got a new job and can’t give me a ride anymore! Boooo! And, to make it super fun, it is raining and freezing outside. :-( Not fun freezing like Vermont (because we were enjoying it by the fireplace) but wet and annoying freezing, especially because I forgot an umbrella and am wearing a light coat… Fun, huh?
So how does one get through a day like that? By knowing there’s a pot of hot delicious Black Bean Soup when I get home!! :-)
In Brazil, this Black Bean Soup – or Caldinho de Feijão, like we call it – is a must on cold days. You sip it and immediately your whole body feels warm and cozy! Hmmmmm! And it’s so flavorful too! Add some bacon on top and serve it with a few slices of french bread and it’s a very fulfilling meal.
It is also very common to see this soup served as an appetizer in parties, especially game parties (where friends gather to watch soccer!). Then it is usually served in little shot glasses or small glasses (so people can drink it without a spoon), accompanied by torresmo (pork rinds).
This soup is usually on the thicker side, but you can customize it according to your preferences by adding more or less water. I like it somewhat in the middle if I’m eating as a meal and a little thinner if I’m serving as an appetizer in a shot glass, just because it easier to drink it that way.
But thick or thin, this soup is absolutely delicious and once you try it, you will be making it all winter long. :-)
As you can see in the recipe below, I always cook my beans in a pressure cooker. You will not find a Brazilian that doesn’t own a pressure cooker. It makes life so much easier… I use it to cook beans, to make pot roast (pot roast in 30 minutes? Hell yeah!), to make dulce de leche (by cooking a can of sweet condensed milk). So pretty much anything you can do in a regular pot, a pressure cooker makes it faster! If you don’t own one, I highly recommend it. However, since I’m a nice person, I included directions to make this soup using a regular pot in the instructions below! ;-)
(This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something using my link, I get a small commission. Enough to buy a pack of gum…)
Brazilian Black Bean Soup
Yield:
8
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pancetta
- 1lbs black beans
- 8 cups Water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Fried pancetta or bacon to garnish
- Chopped parsley or green onions to garnish
Instructions
17 Comments on “Brazilian Black Bean Soup”
the soup looks great Olivia especially since it has been sooo cold. Aww that sounds awful that you forgot your umbrella and then got wet, not fun at all!! Glad this soup was there to warm you up! :)
PS: There isn’t any Indian either who doesn’t own a pressure cooker! :D We make just about everything in pressure cooker..lol
I didn’t know indians were also obsessed with pressure cookers, Manali! Another thing in common!!! :D
Sounds like you had a great weekend in Vermont, Olivia! And yay for the holiday season! This black bean soup sounds wonderful! I’ve only had a similar soup once, not too long ago, and it was so good. I will definitely have to try your version out!
Thank you, Gayle! :)
Sending you warm and cozy thoughts to get you thru the cold mornings on the subway! Bring a nice big travel mug full of warm coffee. Or better yet, a thermos of this delicious looking black bean soup!
Thank you, dear. Yes, I’ve been bringing lots of coffee to endure the subway madness. lol
Love your caldinho de feijão recipe, I will definitely try it very soon! Beautiful food styling and photography as always.
Thank you so much, Camille. I’ve been trying to improve. :)
Pressure cooker recipes!!! I rarely use the PC, but my Indian mom cooks everything in it, and it’s my turn to give it a try! Soup is the one thing I rarely make from scratch, and black bean is my fave. Time to give this a try :)
Oh, you should def use your PC more often. It saves so much time!!! :)
This soup looks amazing Olivia! I can’t wait to try it! Beautiful photography! Glad you had a nice weekend!
Thank you, Mira!! :)
After these photographs, I’ll have to eat all of my soups and stews out of drinking cups. Gorgeous!
lol! I know!! I saw this mug at a thrift shop and couldn’t resist it… It’s perfect for soups!
This definitely sounds like a nice soup to warm you up after a cold day!! I love that this is made in a pressure cooker for max flavor!
I tried the soup. It was delicious. Thank you for posting the recipe.
I’m so glad! I can’t wait to have my first soup of the season. It is still too hot here in NY, even with the AC on.