Smokey Black Bean Soup - Cook's essentials CEPC800 Owner's Manual

SMOKEY BLACK BEAN SOUP

Use either homemade unsalted chicken broth or low-sodium canned as the
smoked ham hock and chorizo sausage usually provide sufficient salt for the
entire soup.
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
4 cups water
4 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth or additional water
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
1 meaty smoked ham hock or turkey drumstick
1/2 pound chorizo or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-
inch slices
2 large green bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt to taste
Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, diced tomato and/or avocado
1. Press BROWN and START, and heat oil in cooker. Add onions and cook,
stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook
until onions are soft, about 2 minutes more. Turn off heat and stir in papri-
ka. Immediately transfer onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add water, broth, beans, ham hock, sausage, peppers, and bay leaves to
cooker.
3. Pull lid handles apart and set lid on cooker. Slide safety lock to LOCK
position. Point pressure regulator knob to PRESSURE.
4. Set pressure mode for HIGH and cook time for 22 MINUTES. Press START.
5. When cooker beeps three times, STOP light will illuminate. Allow pressure
to come down naturally for 10 minutes. Quick-release any remaining pres-
sure by holding down Quick Steam Release Button until red Pressure
Indicator Rod drops.
6. Slide safety lock to UNLOCK. Pull handles apart and remove lid.
7. Remove ham hock and bay leaves. Stir in onion mixture and sherry. Add
salt to taste. Press BROWN and START and boil uncovered, stirring occa-
sionally, for 5 minutes (or longer, if needed, for beans to become very ten-
der.)
8. Meanwhile, chop meat from ham hock (there won't be much) and add it to
soup. Soup will thicken as it stands, but if you wish to thicken it immedi-
ately, mash about a cupful of beans against side of cooker and blend
mash into soup.
9. Garnish individual portions with cilantro, diced tomatoes and/or avocados,
if you wish.
Serves 7 to 8
Adapted from THE PRESSURED COOK, copyright Lorna Sass, 1998. By
permission of Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
(22 minutes, high pressure)
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