This title is dedicated to all those who chimed in on our root vegetable gratin video
to let me know that a potato is a tuber, and not a root, even though I
mentioned that fact in the video and the post! Bless your hearts. ;-)
I know we did a black bean soup
not too long ago, but I had a piece of leftover ham that needed to be
used up, and this time of year you just can’t have too many soup
recipes. In addition to being a proven antidote for Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD), the recipe is definitely filling enough to serve as a
main course.
The
version I presented here is a little on the lighter side, but by adding
more meat (including bacon, sausage, etc.), and finishing with cheese,
you can significantly increase its heartiness.
By
the way, if you do want to finish this with some nice sharp cheddar, or
perhaps a pepper Jack, do NOT add it until you’ve turned off the heat.
Cooking the cheese is never a good thing, unless you want an oil slick
floating on the surface of your soup. There will be plenty of residual
heat to melt shredded cheese, so turn off the heat, stir it in, and dig
in.