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1
Simmer the Beans
90 Mins
Rolling boil, 100°C (212°F), then a gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the soaked and drained 450g of black beans in a large pot with the 1600ml of water, half the diced onion, half the diced green pepper and the 2 bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 80 minutes more, until the beans are completely tender. Skim off any foam that rises in the first minutes and top up with a little hot water if the beans start to peek above the liquid.
Dried beans must reach a full boil before they simmer — it is what makes them safe and tender, so do not skip the 10-minute hard boil.
Done when: Beans squash easily between finger and thumb; broth dark and lightly thickened.
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2
Make the Sofrito
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
While the beans simmer, heat the 45g of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and green pepper and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweet-smelling. Add the 20g of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then stir in the 4g of cumin and the 2g of oregano, rubbed between your palms, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Garlic burns in seconds once it colours — have the cumin and oregano measured and ready before the garlic goes in.
Done when: Onion and pepper soft and translucent; garlic pale gold, never brown.
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3
Mash a Third and Stir in the Sofrito
20 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Fish the bay leaves out of the bean pot and discard them. Ladle out about a third of the beans with a little of their liquid, mash them to a coarse puree with a potato masher or the back of a ladle, and stir the mash back into the pot — this is what gives the soup its body while the rest of the beans stay whole. Stir in the sofrito, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the soup is brothy but creamy and the flavours have come together.
This is the step that separates the soup from the stew: the pot should still ladle like a soup, not sit like a side dish — if it gets too thick, stir in a splash of hot water.
Done when: Soup coats a spoon but still pours; whole beans visible throughout.
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4
Season with Vinegar, Sugar and Salt
5 Mins
Pot off the heat
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the 15g of red wine vinegar, the 4g of sugar, the 6g of salt and the 1g of black pepper. Taste and adjust: a little more vinegar if it tastes flat, a pinch more salt if it tastes dull. The soup should taste dark and earthy with a bright, tangy finish.
Vinegar goes in last on purpose — acid added early slows the beans from softening, so it only joins the pot once they are fully tender.
Done when: Seasoning balanced; a spoonful tastes rich, then bright.
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5
Serve with Rice in the Middle
5 Mins
Serve hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Ladle the soup into wide bowls, then spoon about 60g of the warm cooked rice into the middle of each bowl, as in the photograph. Scatter the chopped red onion and cilantro over the top and serve at once, with warm Cuban bread on the side for dunking.
The rice goes in the bowl, not in the pot — stirred into the pot it would soak up the broth and turn the soup into a stew by the second helping.
Done when: Every bowl has whole beans, dark broth, a mound of rice and a green scatter.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the dark, brothy soup into wide bowls, set a mound of warm white rice in the middle of each one, scatter red onion and cilantro over the top, and put warm Cuban bread on the table for dunking.
Cuba
3h
