Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
- 1 small (about 1 pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 ripe (black) plantain, cut in 1/2-inch half moons
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or more as needed
- juice of 1 lime, or more as needed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
- sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving
Method
- In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, and celery, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in soaked beans, ham hock, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the beans and hock are just tender, about 60 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, squash, and plantain and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
- Remove the hock, cool, and shred the meat from the bone.
- Transfer one-quarter of the soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Stir the puree back into the soup, add the ham pieces, and season with salt and lime juice.
Serve hot with cilantro and sour cream on top.
