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Caldo de Frijoles Negros

5.0

(3)

A bowl of black bean soup topped with sour cream cilantro and avocado.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert

The late Sara Hervis was one of the best cooks I knew in Las Tuxtlas, the forested region in Veracruz State in Mexico. Because of her knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants and her way with forest animals, her friends thought Sara was a bit of a bruja—a good, wise one, I might add. I found Sara’s approach to cooking so in tune with her natural surroundings it was almost mystical. From Sara, I learned to season soups like this caldo de frijoles negros with generous bunches of cilantro or epazote, not just a few sprigs. In her restaurant, the simmering broths and beans always had a top layer of herbs so lush that they seemed to be growing out of the pot. What amazes me is that when used this way, epazote never overwhelms the soup, despite its powerful aroma when raw.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Gran Cocina Latina' by Maricel Presilla. Buy the full book on Amazon. Click through for more black bean recipes and more classic Mexican soups →

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