Red Pepper Soup with Black Bean "Meat"balls (2024)

Red Pepper Soup with Black Bean "Meat"balls

For the soup:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion, sliced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white wine
• ▢ 1 16-oz jar roasted red peppers, undrained
• ▢ 2 & 1/2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable
• ▢ 2 sprigs thyme, or about a teaspoon dried
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ dash sriracha

For the "meat"balls:

• ▢ 1 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 tablespoons basil, fresh, chopped
• ▢ 3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• ▢ 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ pepper , to taste
• ▢ 2-4 tablespoons oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
• ▢ sour cream, or Greek yogurt, to garnish

• In a wide-bottom pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions when it is nice and hot. Cook until they are starting to get soft, about 5 minutes.

• Crush the 3 cloves of garlic with the side of a knife. Add them whole to the onions and continue to cook until the onions and garlic are starting to brown, about another 5 minutes.

• Add the 2 tablespoons of white wine (I used cooking wine) and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated. It shouldn't take long, about a minute or so.

• Add the entire jar of roasted red peppers, liquid and all. Don't worry about chopping them.

• Add 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 2 sprigs of thyme, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes.

• Remove the soup from the heat and discard the thyme stems. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup very well.

• If you don't have an immersion blender, let cool slightly then transfer the soup to a blender. Put the lid on, but leave the top spout open so that steam can escape. Hold a towel over the top with your hand and blend until smooth.Transfer the soup back to the pot and heat it up again.

• Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add a dash of hot sauce if you want (taste it first).

• Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the drained black beans, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, panko bread crumbs, egg, paprika, salt, and pepper. Use a potato masher to combine the mixture and smoosh the beans.

• Form the bean mixture into 25-30 "meatballs." In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes (or just use regular oil). Add the "meatballs" when it is hot, cooking in batches if necessary. Cook for a minute or two, until browned, then gently turn them with a spatula. Continue cooking and turning until all sides are browned. Repeat with the remaining "meatballs."

• Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top with meatballs. Garnish with fresh basil, thyme, sour cream, or Greek yogurt. It also tastes good with some fresh parmesan on top.