Black Bean and Chorizo Soup With Cumin Toasts and Salsa Verde

Buster's friend's Note:

Something especially nice to pack for lunch from the LA Times. Even without microwave access, the soup travels well in a widemouth thermos & the salsa & toasts need no refrigeration for a few hours. Such a tasty lunch would be hard to come by at any price. Throw a few Pickled Garlic with Hot Pepper on the side as a piquant ward off for October vampires & you are set! I soak my beans overnight after bringing to a boil for 10 minutes & put my dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven to cook unattended without fear of scorching.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

Black bean soup and assembly

• 1 1/2 cups spanish chorizo, chopped, about 6 ounces
• 1 1/2 cups onions, chopped, about 1 onion
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped, about 2 carrots
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb black beans, dried, about 2 1/2 cups, rinsed and picked over
• 6 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Salsa verde

• 1 jalapeno, minced (remove the seeds and center for a milder flavor)
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Italian parsley, packed
• 2 cups cilantro, packed
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Cumin toasts

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 slices bread, country white

Directions:

1. Black bean soup and assembly:.
2. In a large (3 1/2 quart) Dutch oven or soup pot heated over medium heat, cook the chorizo, onion and carrots in the olive oil until soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Stir in the beans, water and bay leaves and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the soup to a bare simmer over low heat, cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt, cumin, cayenne and black pepper after the first hour of cooking.
4. When the beans are soft, puree one cup of the soup in a blender or food processor, then add back to the pot. This makes about 8 cups soup. Serve the soup with a dollop of salsa verde and the cumin toasts. The soup will keep, refrigerated, for 5 days.
5. Salsa verde:.
6. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the jalapeño, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, parsley and cilantro until finely chopped. Remove to a small bowl; add the olive oil and mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed. This makes a generous cup of salsa and will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
7. Cumin toasts:.
8. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt and cumin. Brush the sliced bread with the oil and toast until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Set aside.