SMOKY BLACK BEAN AND RICE STOUP

Smoky Black Bean and Rice Stoup image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan
3 bacon slices, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 15-ounce cans black beans
1 tablespoon ground coriander, a palmful
1 tablespoon chili powder, a palmful
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palmful
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
2 teaspoons hot sauce (eyeball it)
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, such as Muir Glen
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup white rice

Steps:

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, then add the bacon and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to render the fat. Add the bay leaf, celery, onions, and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to soften the veggies. Add the corn and 1 can of black beans and their juice. Drain the other can, then add half the can of beans. Mash the remaining beans in the can with a fork to make a paste out of them, then scrape them into the soup pot-this will make the stoup souper-thick! Season the veggies and beans with the coriander, chili, ground cumin, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock, then cover the pot and raise the heat to bring the stoup to a boil. Add the rice and cook the stoup over a rolling simmer until the rice is tender but has a little bite left to it, 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve.