Black Bean Soup With Jalapeno Sherry
Lake Austin Spa Resort

This soup, despite its rather menacing moniker, is not really all that spicy. The peppers are strained out, leaving just a trace of heat along with the sherry's subtle nutty sweetness. Like most bean soups, it freezes well.

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• ½ pound black beans, picked over for rocks

• 1 quart water or chicken stock

• ½ cup sherry

• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper or 3 fresh Serrano peppers, seeded

• ½ teaspoon salt

• additional water or stock as needed

• 1 cup fat-free sour cream (optional)

1. Gently sweat the onion with the oil in a covered soup pot until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and cumin, stirring, for a few seconds.
2. Add the beans, water or stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, covering the pot partially.
3. When they are tender, purée ? of the beans. Recombine with the remaining whole beans.
4. In a second pan, simmer the sherry with the peppers for 5 minutes. Strain into the soup, discarding peppers.
5. Add salt, and additional liquid if needed.
6. Serve hot, garnished, if desired, with dollops of the sour cream.