Nothing like a hearty black bean soup to take the chill off a fall weekend

I happen to enjoy a long-simmering pot on my stove on a cool fall weekend, while I'm puttering around my house.

To soak or not to soak, that is the question. Dried beans can be intimidating, since it seems like you have to start planning your meal three days in advance. The truth is that you can actually just dump all the ingredients in your pot and let them simmer for a few hours. You heard it here, folks: the overnight soak is basically a myth. 

Sure, you can cut an hour or more off your total cooking time by letting your dried beans chill out in a bucket of water for ten hours. But, I happen to enjoy a long-simmering pot on my stove on a cool fall weekend, while I’m puttering around my house.  Check in on your beans every twenty minutes or half hour and give them a stir. It’s not a bad way to spend an afternoon. 

This Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup is chock full of flavor thanks in part to its long simmer, but also to its tasty components. This is a stick-to-your-ribs meal, complete with filling black beans,  a healthy scoop of garlic, and little bits of tender pork. Serve this soup with a dollop of sour cream and some roasted pumpkin seeds floating on top. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 rib celery, trimmed and diced

1 small onion, trimmed and diced

2 tablespoons chopped garlic 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock

32 ounces water

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles 

1 1/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in a 1-inch dice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

kosher salt

pumpkin seeds and sour cream, for serving 

1. Trim the pork of excess fat. If it is one large piece, break it down into four smaller chunks. 

2. Place a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven stove-top over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot, followed by the pork shoulder. 

3. Sear the pork on all sides until it is crispy and brown. Remove the pork to a plate and drain the excess fat from the pot. 

4. Return the pork to the pot, along with the black beans, carrot, celery, onion, black beans, garlic, oregano, chicken stock, water, and diced tomatoes. 

5. Stir the ingredients well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about two and a half hours, stirring every twenty minutes or so. 

6. The soup should remain uncovered, but if it thickens too much, add a bit of water from time to time. 

7. After two and a half hours, the beans should be just about tender. Use a slotted spoon to fish the pork out of the soup. Let it cool. 

8. Add the diced sweet potatoes and continue to simmer the soup for another thirty or forty minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. 

9. Meanwhile, shred the pork with a fork. Discard any fatty bits. 

10. Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the vinegar and pork bits. 

11. Season to taste. The beans will require aggressive seasoning, so don’t be shy with adding salt. You will probably need at least two teaspoons, depending on how salty your chicken stock is. 

Garnish with pumpkin seeds, parsley, and sour cream for serving. This recipe will yield eight servings.