So payday isn’t till Thursday and the fridge still hasn’t been restocked since our little electricity debacle. I’m scrounging around to keep us fed this week and resorted to the poor man’s meat- beans!

I have this awesome recipe for Cuban black bean soup, but I was missing one key ingredient- a large can of tomatoes. So I did what any good cook will do and improvised. I used a large can of enchilada sauce instead and it turned out quite tasty. I also skipped the sherry vinegar and a few other things cause I don’t follow directions well. Sue me.

So Cuban Black Bean Soup (spicy and vegan till you add the cheese- woot)

vegetable oil
1 pound black turtle beans, washed and picked over but not soaked
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots, diced
1 28oz can of enchilada sauce
2 bay leaves
pepper
salt
dash of favorite hot sauce (I like Tapatillo)
cheese, sour cream and/or chopped scallions for garnish

Preheat oven to 325. In a stock pot, sweat onions, celery and carrots in oil for about 3 minutes. Throw in enchilada sauce, beans, bay leaves and dash of hot sauce. Bring to boil. Cover pot and braise in oven for 2 hours.

Puree about 1/3 of the soup in a food processor (or if you have one of those handy immersion blenders, use that and know that I am JEALOUS AS ALL GET OUT)

Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with cheese and scallions.

Now- how the poor get their party on.

Being friends with a whole bunch of poor struggling artsy types, we’ve decided to have a Soup Swap Party at my house next Saturday. Everyone brings a big pot of their fav soup and some take home containers. Then we all get together with some wine (okay a shitload of wine) and taste soups and take leftovers home so for the price of one meal we get many. I think I’m going to do Cheddar Chowder. It’s equal parts cheese, potatoes and bechamel sauce and 100 percent rich yummy goodness. I’ll post the recipe next week.