Smoky Vegetarian Cuban Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, crushed between your fingers
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup diced smoked tempeh bacon (such as Lightlife® Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips®)
• 2 tablespoons dark rum (Optional)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup sliced hard-boiled eggs (Optional)
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion

Step 1

Soak the black beans in a large bowl, covering them with a few inches of cool water. Let them sit for at least 8 hours or overnight. When you’re ready, drain and rinse the beans well.

Step 2

Heat some oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add the chopped yellow onion, paprika, and cumin seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything smells amazing—about 3 minutes. Then toss in the red and green bell peppers, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Keep cooking and stirring until the onions are soft and the peppers have mellowed, around 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 3

Pour in the vegetable stock along with the soaked beans, chopped tempeh, rum, and jalapeno pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Once it’s simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook until the beans are tender, which should take about 45 minutes.

Step 4

Add some water to the pot and season everything with about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Keep cooking, stirring every now and then, until the beans start to break down and the soup thickens nicely—this will take another 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then fish out the bay leaves and discard them.

Step 5

Serve the soup warm, topped with slices of hard-boiled egg and a sprinkle of red onion for a little extra kick.