16 Food Network 17
Food Network
black bean soup with mojo
Soup:
2 cups (1 pound) dried black beans,
picked over and rinsed
4 country-style blade pork ribs
(about 2 pounds)
8 cups water
¼ cup dark rum
1 head garlic, unpeeled, halved horizontally
to expose the cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Mojo:
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
(about 4 limes)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Soup:
1. Put black beans, pork ribs, water, rum, garlic, onion,
salt, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and crushed red
pepper in a slow cooker; cover and cook on LOW
until the beans are tender and the meat is falling
off the rib bones, about 8 hours.
2. Remove meat from the soup. Using a handheld
immersion blender, partially purée the soup until
it is creamy but still has some texture from whole
beans. (Or purée half the soup in a blender and stir
it back into the slow cooker.) Pull the meat from the
rib bones, shredding it into large pieces, and stir it
into the soup.
Mojo:
1. Put the garlic and olive oil in a small microwave-
safe bowl and microwave on HIGH until the garlic
is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice,
cilantro, and salt and set aside until ready to serve.
2. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each
serving with some mojo. Pass the remaining mojo.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
potatoes with bacon and thyme
3 ounces bacon (about 5 slices)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
and quartered with skin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 dried bay leaves
5 black peppercorns, plus freshly ground
for serving
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
1. Line the bottom of the slow-cooker with bacon and
toss half the thyme on top. Top with the potatoes,
salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Pour the chicken
broth over the potatoes and add water to cover the
potatoes. Scatter the remaining thyme and the
butter on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 to 6
hours, or until potatoes are fork tender.
2. Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns and ladle
into large shallow bowls and season with salt and
pepper, to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
recipes
1 cup dried multibean mix or Great Northern
beans, picked over and rinsed
6 cups water
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
½ cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1½ tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional
for seasoning
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
Freshly ground black pepper
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms (optional)
3 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves
(about 3 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
bean and barley soup
1. Put beans, water, tomatoes and their juices,
garlic, celery, carrots, onion, barley, bay leaf, 1½
tablespoons salt, herb blend, pepper, and porcini
mushrooms (if desired) in a slow cooker; cover and
cook on LOW until the beans are quite tender and
the soup is thick, about 8 hours.
2. Stir in the spinach, cheese, and vinegar, cover,
and let the soup be until the spinach wilts, about
5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and black
pepper to taste.
3. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each
serving with olive oil.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Cook’s Note: We like to stir in spinach just at the end of
cooking and drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil right before
serving. The warm soup gently wilts the greens and
coaxes out nuances in the olive oil that add a whole new
dimension of flavor.
