Frijoles Charros

As a background today, a beautiful song by Lauryn Hill. The whole concert is a gem.

Lauryn Hill- Peace of Mind- MTV Unplugged


The other day, we had some friends over for dinner and I decided to make a black bean soup. Everyone loved it, especially my partner. When he tried it he looked at me and said: Frijoles Charros! I looked at him and said What? All I was trying to make was a black bean soup with some chorizo. Well, apparently I made a very popular Mexican dish, and I was successful at it. Which made me very happy and I realized I made too little of that soup because it disappeared fast.





It was so good!

I have also been preparing for returning to work.  I cannot believe a year passed by so quickly. I was so lucky to be able to stay at home with my daughter and it was an amazing experience.  
The first week back at work might be tiring, so I am trying to cook few things and freeze them, not to worry about cooking too much. I will also make more of that soup. It was so good. And really, it did not take a lot of time at all!

With the chorizo this soup is not a starter, it is a meal in itself. Perfect for these cold, rainy days. I happen to have lots of dry beans at home, so I just soak them overnight in order to cook them the next day. I freeze some of them after cooking, and can easily make rice and beans, frijoles or throw them in a stew or chilli. It is much healthier than using the canned ones, but if you do not have dry beans, use cans, pick good quality ones.

You can also use red or pinto beans with that recipe. Also, if you do not have chorizo, use spicy Italian or any other fresh sausage. It has to be fresh, the soup will not turn out the same if you try to use Kolbassa, so do not even try it. Fresh, fresh, fresh is a must!!!

Frijoles Charros

Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1.5 pound Mexican chorizo sausage

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds

3 cups black beans, cooked  

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice  

1 1/2 cups chicken broth  

Toppings

Chopped fresh cilantro  

Chopped green onions

Crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

In a large pot heat the oil, add onion and garlic, soften. Add the chopped carrot with cumin. After few minutes when the carrot has softened  a bit add pieces of the chorizo (without the skin), jalapeño and fry again until the sausage is almost done. At this time add the beans, tomatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots are done. Transfer 3 cups of the soup to blender and blend until smooth. Return to the rest of the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Place in bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese or queso fresco, green onions and fresh cilantro.

Serve it alongside fresh bread or quesadillas with cheese and green onions.