Sopa Negra

Do you want another taste of Costa Rica? Here is a recipe for a typical Costa Rican soup. Like the gallo pinto recipe I posted last month, this one also is a beans and rice dish. Enjoy.

Sopa Negra (Black Soup) six servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb black beans (usually more beans will be cooked and then removed and saved for later for something else like gallo pinto, refried beans, or simply used as a side for another meal).

About 1 lb white rice, cooked.

8 cups chicken broth and/or water. (Water will do fine, but there is so much flavor that chicken stock can add to any savory recipe like this).

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp oregano

6 eggs

10-12 sprigs cilantro, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red sweet pepper, chopped

Directions:

After soaking the beans overnight, drain and put them in a large stew pot with the water and/or chicken broth, salt, and black pepper, and bring it to a boil.

Turn down the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 2½ hours or until the beans are soft.

[The water/broth will now be black and is called agua negra or black water.]

Sauté the onioin, garlic, and red sweet pepper in the olive oil, then add them to the pot.

Add the cilantro, oregano, and cook an additional 30 minutes or so.

Add the six eggs to the pot to be hard boiled for the final 8 minutes. If you wantt to boil the eggs in a separated pot, that's fine too. It is even possible to poach the eggs in the soup, if you like.

Remove the eggs, and peal them. Then, put the shelled eggs back into the pot whole.

Salt and pepper to taste.

The soup is served in a bowl over some rice with one egg per bowl.

¡Buen provecho!