Slow Cooker Cuban Black Bean Soup

I conquered a task in the kitchen that has been eluding me for years: using dried beans in a recipe. I use beans frequently in the recipes I use for dinners so I find myself buying multiple cans of beans each time I go to the grocery store. Beans are delicious, nutritious and easy on the food budget. Canned beans aren’t expensive by any means but dried beans are a much better value. I always want to use dried beans but I have never been able to get them to soften. I couldn’t figure out why. Women all over the world are able to do this so why couldn’t I?

I found this recipe in a magazine that Kraft Foods sends out. Since our family is such a fan of beans I decided to give it a shot. I soaked the beans for 24 hours before I put them in the crock pot. I know that you are supposed to soak the beans overnight but I decided that I needed the extra soak time since I have never had luck with dried beans.

I used Kraft’s Zesty Italian Dressing because I couldn’t find their Italian Vinaigrette. The original recipe calls for you to put the ham in with the beans. I’m sure this is to help with the flavor of the soup. I followed the recipe and the soup tasted great but the ham didn’t stand out at all. In the future I will add the ham during the last hour of cooking or right after blending the beans. Part of the “Cuban-ness” of this soup is the ham so I want to make sure it stands out. Make sure your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate all your ingredients. Mine was too small so I ended up using two slow cookers.

I served this to my family with corn muffins and a green salad. Husband and I also added a little lime juice to our bowls. With the weather starting to cool down I think your family will be happy to see this in their soup bowls at the end of the day.

Check out those soaking beans!

Enjoy!

¼ cup Kraft Italian Vinaigrette Dressing

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

15 oz. petite diced tomatoes, drained

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 lb. dried black beans, soaked

6 cups chicken broth

7.5 oz. cooked ham, chopped

2 bay leaves

Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add peppers and onions and cook until vegetables are crisp tender, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables to the slow cooker. Stir in beans, broth, ham and bay leaves. Cover with the lid and cook on low for ten hours (or on high for five hours).

Remove and discard bay leaves. Blend half the soup in blender until smooth. Return to remaining soup in slow cooker, stir to combine and serve.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/slow-cooker-cuban-black-bean-soup-162267.aspx