Black Bean Soup With Cilantro Cream

The best thing about this soup, apart from the delicious taste, is that it's so easy and quick to make. Please serve it with the Cilantro Cream - it's like the icing on the cake! You can make this soup for a vegetarian, just leave out the bacon and use vegetable stock - this is how I make it for my husband and it's still delicious. This recipe has been adapted from a leaflet I found in a supermarket, promoting Sonoma dried tomato halves.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup sun-dried tomato
• 1  cup boiling water
• 4  slices bacon, chopped
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (425 g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14  ounces  chicken stock or 14  ounces  vegetable stock
• 1  large garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro leaves (coriander)

• Cilantro Cream

• 1⁄4 cup sour cream or 1⁄4 cup creme fraiche
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro leaves (coriander)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander, spice
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Combine the sun dried tomatoes and 1 cup boiling water in a small bowl. Make sure the tomatoes are covered and let stand until the tomatoes are soft. Drain, reserving the liquid, and then chop the tomatoes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the bacon and onion until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, tomato liquid, beans, chicken or vegetable stock, garlic, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro (coriander) leaves.
3. Blend with a stick blender (or in batches in the blender or food processor) until smooth. Return to the saucepan and heat gently before serving.
4. To make the coriander cream: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
5. Ladle hot soup into bowls and drizzle with the Cilantro Cream. You may garnish with some more chopped cilantro (coriander) if you wish.
6. Notes: I have made this using my own oven dried cherry tomatoes and I usually save half a cup of the soup which does not get blended to give a bit more texture when added at the end.