Black Bean Soup - Series 5
A unique soup, quite dramatic to serve, with its rich, black color and
splendidly sweet flavor. This kind of soup is quite nice when you are
needing a bit of stamina in your life. Bean soups are great
endurance-builders and combined with roasted sweet onions and butternut
squash, you create tremendous strength in your middle organs and digestive
system. A great starter to an autumn or winter meal.

What You'll Need
extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, thin half moon slices
soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin or white wine
3 cups spring or filtered water
4 cups cooked black turtle beans
3 teaspoons brown rice miso
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, minced, for garnish

Instructions
Place a small amount of oil in a soup pot, with the onions and turn the heat
to medium. As soon as the onions begin to sizzle, add a splash of soy sauce
and saute 1-2 minutes. Add mirin, water and black beans and bring to a
boil, covered. Reduce heat to low and cook until beans are very soft, about
15 minutes. Transfer soup, by ladles, into a food mill, chinois or food
processor and puree until smooth. Return to low heat. Remove a small
amount of hot broth and puree miso. Stir into soup and simmer, uncovered
for 3-4 minutes to activate the enzyme activity of the miso. Just before
serving, stir in balsamic vinegar. Serve soup garnished with fresh parsley.