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