Oaxacan black bean soup (dressy version)

Yield: 6 Servings

Measure Ingredient
2 cups Dry Black Beans; Cleaned
4 \N Avocado Leaves Or
1 \N Rib Fresh Fennel Seed; Roughly Chopped
½ cup Chorizo Sausage; Casing Removed
1 small White Onions; Diced
1 teaspoon Salt; (Or To Taste)
⅓ cup Vegetable Oil; For Frying
6 \N Corn Tortillas; **
\N \N Creme Fraiche
\N \N Chipotle Salsa

Preparation for beans: Place the beans in a medium-size (4-quart) pot, cover with 6 cups water, remove any beans that float and heat slowly to a simmer. If using avocado leaves, toast them briefly directly over a medium gas flame or on a hot griddle. Add the avocado leaves (or fennel), chorizo and onion to the beans, partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are fully tender, 1½ to 2 hours.

If you see the beans peeking up through the liquid, add hot water to cover them by ½ inch.

Finishing the soup: Use an immersion blender to fully puree the soup, or puree in batches in a food processor or loosely covered blender. Return it to the pot. Add enough water to thicken to a medium-thick consistency.

Taste and season with salt.

** Recommend stale store-bought tortillas, sliced into ⅛ inch-wide strips, for garnish

Heat the oil in a medium-size (8 to 9 inch) skillet over medium-high heat.

When hot, add about /3 of the tortilla strips and fry, turning frequently, until they are crisp. Drain on paper towels. Fry the remaining strips in 2 batches.

Serving the soup: Heat the soup to a boil. Ladle into warm soup bowls. Stir in a swirl of creme fraiche and a swirl of Chipotle Salsa and top with a few of the crisp tortilla strips and grilled green onions.

Recipe by: Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, 1996 Posted to MasterCook Digest V1 #407 by "Carrie" <carriejmclain@...> on Jan 18, 1998

Similar recipes