Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Name: Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Yield: Serves 6 (Makes about 9 cups)
Cuisine: Southwest (Tex-Mex)
Ingredients: 1 pound, dried black beans (2 cups), rinsed and picked over; 1 ounce, dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced; 2 , bay leaves; 5 cups, water; 1/8 teaspoon, baking soda; 1 teaspoon, table salt; 3 tablespoons, olive oil; 2 , large onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups); 1 , large carrot, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup); 3 ribs, celery, chopped fine (about 1 cup); 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 5 - 6 medium cloves, garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 1/2 tablespoons); 1/2 teaspoon, red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 tablespoons, ground cumin; 6 cups, vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons, cornstarch; 2 tablespoon, water; 2 tablespoons, lime juice, from 1 to 2 limes; , lime wedges; , minced fresh cilantro leaves; , red onion, finely diced; , avocado, diced medium; , sour cream

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2005, America's Test Kitchen TV

SERVES6 (Makes about 9 cups)

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

For a black bean soup recipe that would produce an attractive, dark-colored soup full of sweet, spicy, smoky flavors, we went with dried beans, which release flavor into the broth as they cook, unlike canned beans. Furthermore, they proved ...

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