Soup ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tbs ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 small dried chili pepper, crumbled
- 8 ounces of ham, cut into 1/8-inch cubes
- 1 quart chicken stock or water
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- In a soup pot, heat the oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables soften.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, chili pepper, and ham. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the stock or water and the beans. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, add salt and black pepper, and cover with the lid. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
- In a food processor, puree 2 cups of the soup with a little liquid. Return the mixture to the remaining soup.
- Stir in the cilantro and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and black pepper if you like. Return the soup to a boil and then set it over very low heat.
Chutney ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the avocados, lemon juice, scallions, bell pepper, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Toss gently.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the avocado chutney. Serve at once.