Sopa Negra
A brothy, savory black bean soup crowned with a soft egg and fresh cilantro — lighter and more elegant than its name suggests, and a classic Tico remedy for a heavy night before.
Ingredients
- 3 cupscooked black beans (with their liquid)
- 1 cupvegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cuponion (chopped)
- 1/2 cupred bell pepper (chopped)
- 3 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 1/2 tspcumin
- 2 tbspSalsa Lizano
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cupcilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbspoil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Build a sofrito: sauté finely chopped onion, sweet pepper, and garlic with the cumin in a little oil until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
05:00 - 2
Add the black beans along with plenty of their dark cooking liquid and the broth. The liquid is the soul of the soup, so don't drain the beans.
- 3
Simmer 15 minutes, mashing some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth while leaving plenty whole. Stir in the Salsa Lizano and season.
15:00 - 4
Poach the eggs directly in the gently simmering soup until the whites set but the yolks stay soft, about 4 minutes — or top each bowl with a halved hard-boiled egg if you prefer.
04:00 - 5
Ladle into bowls and finish with lots of chopped cilantro. Serve with white rice on the side to stir in spoonful by spoonful, plus a squeeze of lime.
Notes
The egg is traditional and turns the soup into a light meal. Use home-cooked beans if you can — the seasoned cooking liquid makes a far better broth than canned. A splash of vinegar or lime at the end lifts the earthy beans. Distinct from sopa de frijoles, which is chunkier and pork-based. Photo: Aleat88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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