Name: Costa Rican Black Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 Costa Rican sweet chili peppers or 1 Anaheim pepper, minced; 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 1 tbsp Salsa Lizano or Worcestershire sauce; 1 medium carrot, diced; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 cups cooked white rice; 4 large eggs; 1 ripe avocado, sliced; Lime wedges; Extra fresh cilantro for garnish

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A comforting, deeply flavored black bean soup that is a staple of Costa Rican home cooking, especially on cool highland evenings. Sweet chili peppers, fresh cilantro, and a splash of Salsa Lizano give it a distinctly Tico character. It is traditionally ladled over rice and crowned with a poached egg and slices of avocado.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Servings5

Yield5 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

395 kcalCalories
16 gFat
4 gSaturated Fat
49 gCarbs
11 gFiber
3 gSugar
19 gProtein
510 mgSodium
780 mgPotassium
110 mgCalcium
4 mgIron
22 mgVitamin C
320 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the sofrito

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Costa Rican sweet chili peppers or 1 Anaheim pepper, minced

For the soup

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Salsa Lizano or Worcestershire sauce
1 medium carrot, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For serving

2 cups cooked white rice
4 large eggs
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Lime wedges
Extra fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
Stir in the garlic and sweet chili peppers and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
Add the black beans, broth, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and Salsa Lizano. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup a few times to partially blend and thicken it while leaving plenty of whole beans for texture. Alternatively, mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the carrot and cilantro, then simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes until the carrot is tender. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
While the soup finishes, poach the eggs in gently simmering water with a splash of vinegar until the whites are set but the yolks stay runny, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Ladle the soup over a generous scoop of rice in each bowl. Top with a poached egg, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes

For a deeper, earthier flavor, use dried black beans soaked overnight and simmered until tender before starting the recipe.
Costa Rican sweet chili peppers (chilillos) are mild and slightly fruity; Anaheim or even a thin slice of jalapeño will work if you cannot find them.
A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end brightens the earthy beans and lifts the whole bowl.
Salsa Lizano is the Costa Rican cousin of Worcestershire sauce and adds a tangy, mildly sweet depth that is hard to replicate, so seek it out at Latin markets if possible.
For a heartier version, simmer a smoked ham hock or a strip of bacon in the broth from the start and remove before blending.

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