Kathy Pollard

Make this a regular!
This recipe starts with dried beans, but canned are fine too – saute

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ C dry black beans, rinsed and soaked in cold water overnight.
• Water or broth 4-6 cups
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Salt to taste (optional)
• A few cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 C dry sherry, (not cooking sherry)
• Salt (optional)

Instructions:

Drain beans and pick out any pebbles (rare), and cover with a generous amount of water or broth. Bring to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan with the bay leaf. Skim off any foam, lower heat and simmer partially covered, until beans are just tender, about 1 hour.
Add onion and garlic.and continue to cook until onion becomes extremely soft, about 1 more hour.
Cook longer, adding a bit more water if necessary, until beans are very soft, (can be another hour).  Remove bay leaf and turn off heat. Puree some of the soup with an immersion blender, or mash a few times with a potato masher.  Add dry mustard powder and sherry, and salt to taste if desired. 
Serve, adding any garnishes you wish, like lemon slices or freshly chopped herbs.                             
 
Options: 

1. If you have a pressure cooker, throw all ingredients into the pot, cook under pressure for 5 minutes, then let pressure out naturally, (about 10 minutes).  Continue recipe at point of bay leaf removal.
2. Use a drained, rinsed can of beans instead of dried – Add all ingredients and continue recipe at point of adding onion and garlic