Title: Sopa De Frijoles (Latin American Bean Soup)
Categories: Grigson
Yield: 8 servings

500 g Pinto beans; or mixed dried
; beans
110 g Pancetta; bacon or lardons,
; diced
2 Onions; chopped
2 lg Carrots; diced
2 Celery sticks; diced
4 Garlic cloves; chopped
3 tb Sunflower or vegetable oil
1 Heaped tbsp cumin seeds
1 tb Dried oregano
2 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
4 tb Dry sherry
Juice 1 lime
Salt and pepper

---------------------------FOR THE BOUQUET GARNI---------------------------
3 Sprigs parsley
2 Sprigs thyme
2 Bay leaves
1 sm Spri rosemary; (optional)

----------------------------------TO SERVE----------------------------------
150 ml Soured cream or creme
-fraiche
1 Avocado; peeled, stoned and
; diced at the last
; minute
6 Spring onions; thinly sliced
2 Red chillies; deseeded and
-very
; finely chopped
A small bunch of coriander;
-roughly chopped
2 Limes; cut into wedges

1 Tie the herbs for the bouquet garni together with a length of string.
Soak the beans for four hours and drain thoroughly.

2 Sweat the pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bouquet garni in

the oil over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

3 Add the beans and enough water to cover by about 7.5cm/3in. Boil hard for
10 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1-2 hours while covered,
until the beans are very tender.

4 Add the cumin, oregano, tomatoes, sherry, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and
crushing the beans against the side of the pan, until you have a thick
soup, studded with whole beans.

5 Remove the bouquet garni. Taste and adjust the seasoning (starchy beans

appreciate plenty of salt).

6 Reheat the soup thoroughly when ready to serve, adding a splash of water

if it seems overly thick. Put all the serving bits and bobs into small
bowls and arrange in the centre of the table.

7 Ladle the hot soup into bowls and pass around, while the garnishes can be
served from another set of bowls.

Converted by MC_Buster.

Recipe by: Sophie Grigson's Herbs

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.