Prepare the soup
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the black beans, chicken broth and sherry. Cover, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring often, until the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes.
Finish the soup
In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the soup, then return the mixture to the pan. Add the ham and simmer over medium heat until the ham is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, garnish with the sour cream and serve immediately. Serves 8.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Make Ahead, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2008).
Rated 2 out of
5 by
UnsafePrune from
Finished soup not as pictured.The flavor wasn't bad, but this recipe did not make the dark, thick-appearing soup in this picture. The large amount of chicken broth listed made this very watery/soupy, and even blending 2 cups of the soup did not help. In fact, that did nothing but make it less beany, in my opinion. I was tempted to add another can of beans (but I didn't have any more black beans) or a can of refried black beans just to get a thicker soup. Not at all what I was expecting based on that picture. Disappointing.
