Love Simmered Slowly
Heather & Jack Templeton ~ Sharing a Soup Tradition
Food was an instrument of love growing up. I remember one soup from my mother that till this day I ask for on my birthday, when I am visiting home or on school break. This is her Black Bean and Kielbasa Soup. I do not know where she got this recipe, I do know that it wasn't originally hers, though now she has tinkered with it over the years to make it entirely hers. While the ingredients are simple, the task of cooking it is not. My mother used multiple cast iron skillets just to brown the sausage, as it took over 5 pounds of the smoked meat to satiate my carnivorous family members.
The dinner became a family endeavor, soon I was helping my dad chop up onions as my mom showed my little sister how to fry the kielbasa evenly. The soup was (and is ) the best thing in the world when you are hungry, when it’s cold outside, or any time for that matter. The beans are filling and rich in a bold deep flavor, the sausage crisp tasting of char, every bite full of savory bliss. The stock was warm, but with the chipotle pepper it was more than that. It felt as though my bones were being set out to dry in the best way. This soup could cure hypothermia, this soup warms the soul with the perfect amount of spice and heat in every bite. Adding sour cream to the soup brings a whole other dimension to the flavor profile. The sour component perfectly pairs with the savory richness of the sausage and onions to give the soup a surprising levity.
Winters could be quite cold, gloomy and rainy because where I grew up happened to be in a temperate rainforest. Just seeing the ingredients on the kitchen table… you knew you were going to be in bed feeling loved without fear of the being cold.
Jack
Heather Templeton
BLACK BEAN KIELBASA SOUP
Ingredients:
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tbsp minced garlic (or 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (you can add more for extra heat if you prefer)
2 (29 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups chicken stock
28 oz diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 pkgs Turkey Kielbasa, thinly sliced
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
28 oz diced fire-roasted tomatoes
3 pkgs Turkey Kielbasa, thinly sliced
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to season
Lime wedges, cilantro, and sour cream (for garnish)
Lime wedges, cilantro, and sour cream (for garnish)
Step 1
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, add the onions, and cook until softened, add the garlic and cook over moderate heat. Stirring occasionally, add the chipotle chili, cumin, oregano, and roasted red pepper, cooking until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the black beans and chicken stock. Use a potato masher to crush some of the black beans; let the soup cook on medium heat.
Step 2:
In a skillet over high heat, add a splash of olive oil and the kielbasa. Stir occasionally, without browning kielbasa too much. This usually needs to be done in batches or two skillets, so that the kielbasa can brown evenly. Add the sausage to the beans and cook. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to let the soup cook for at least 45 minutes before serving.
Ladle into soup bowls; garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges.