Black Beans and Collards Soup

 We just spent a lovely week-end in Kona, resorting with the tourists over there on the sun coast.  Just in case you weren't aware, Hilo and Keaau, are on the rainy coast.  It was our granddaughter's birthday and she wanted to spend it on her favorite beach.  Actually, she has decided she wants to live in a hotel when she grows up.

So, this is a fairly short post on another of the endless ways we're using up our CSA greens.  Do you see the bits of collard floating in that soup?  My Black Beans and Collards creation.  I made stock from a couple lamb leg bones, thereby freeing up some freezer space and, next day after skimming off the fat, reduced it down, cooking a nice, tidy stack of collards at the same time.  Killing two birds with one little reduction.  Towards the end, onion, carrots and celery were added, simmered, then the black beans pureed and stirred into the soup.

Black Beans and Collards Soup

Ingredients
2 quarts stock
 collard greens - about what you want to put in (mine has probably 4 cups, chopped) or use what greens you  might have, such as spinach
2 carrots
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, juiced
2 cups black beans, cooked or a 15 oz. can
Spring onion, for garnish
Sour Cream or Yogurt for topping

Bring your stock to a boil.  Meanwhile, wash collards thoroughly, remove stems, stack and chop into thumbnail size pieces.  Add to the stock, reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours.  If your stock needs reducing, the heat should be high enough to keep it at a boil.  If not, just cook until the greens are about a 1/2 hour from finish, before adding the rest of the chopped vegetables and seasonings.  Blend your black beans and add them in at the end, with the lemon juice, then adjust salt and pepper. 

A very comforting, umami sort of, cooler weather soup.  It was simple, and tasty.  The black beans add so much flavor and richness to an otherwise simple vegetable soup.