A Soup Even Dre Likes

I made a pot of this for my BFF Jan this week. Mrs. Nutter passed it along to me last winter since it sounded like a flavorful dairy-free recipe. I'd only made it once before yesterday but I think I'm going to have to start making it more often. My soup-hater of a husband even ate half a bowl!

Spicy Black Bean, Chorizo, and Turnip Green Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz (about 2 links) uncooked chorizo sausage, casings removed *I use whatever is cheapest or easily available. I’m thinking of trying this with ground turkey with additional seasonings to try and make it cheaper to do for the KG sometime.
• 1 to 2 tsp mild olive oil
• 1 small (3 oz) onion, minced (3/4 c.)
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• 15 to 16 oz canned black beans
• 1 medium (8-oz) potato, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/4 cups; may substitute 8 ounces of red potatoes)
• About 5 c. low-sodium or homemade chicken broth *I opt for 4 cups because especially when cooking for Dre any soup needs to have more “solid” than “liquid” in it.
• 8 oz (1 bunch) turnip greens (stems removed), cleaned and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strips *I usually opt to use kale instead of course imagining I’m going to come up with all these other healthy and useful ways of incorporating it in my meal plan.

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a medium pot over medium heat. If the sausage is very lean, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the sausage meat, using a spoon to break up any large clumps. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the sausage pieces are lightly browned (they will not be cooked through).

2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, adjusting the heat so the onion softens but does not brown. If the pan is dry, add 1 teaspoon of the oil.

3. When the onion is soft, add 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin, stirring to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute, then add the black beans, potato and 4 cups of the broth. Return the sausage pieces to the pot, crumbling them to the size of dried beans.

4. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a slow boil; taste and add cumin or salt as needed. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potato pieces are just tender. Add the turnip green strips, stirring to combine. *Again, I use kale instead of turnip greens.

5. Add broth to achieve the desired consistency. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so the soup is barely bubbling at the edges; cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot. *I opt to leave the greens to add until I serve the soup. Once mixed in they quickly become tender and that way they aren’t left to get soggy in the leftovers.

From [WashingtonPost] In Season columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick