From: Leonard Smith

Summary: Terrace's Black Bean Soup & Cumin Sauce

Date: October 4, 1997

Title: The Terrace's Black Bean Soup
Categories: Soup
Yield: 8 Servings

------------------------INGREDIENTS---------------------
4 c Cleaned black beans
4 qt Water
2 c Chicken Stock
10 oz Hot or mild Italian Sausage
2 md Carrots, chopped
1 md Onion, chopped
3 ea Celery ribs, chopped
1 ea Bay leaf
1 ts Thyme
1/4 ts Sage
1 ts Onion powder
1 ts Chopped fresh garlic
1 ts Cumin
1/2 ts Black pepper
2 tb Chopped fresh parsley
2 tb Chopped green chilies
1 md Red onion chopped

------------------------CUMIN SAUCE-----------------------
1 c Sour cream
2 ts Chopped fresh garlic
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Onion powder
1/4 ts Cumin
1/2 ts Tabasco
1 ts Worcestershire Sauce

------------------------PREPARATION-----------------------

Check through beans. Toss any undesirables and pieces of gravel. Rinse beans, then place in a large kettle. Cover with water and soak overnight.

Return to kettle, along with 4 quarts of water and chicken stock. Begin cooking over medium-high heat.

While beans are cooking, saute Italian sausage. Drain off fat. Chop fine and add to beans. Add chopped carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf, thyme, sage, onion powder, garlic, cumin, black pepper, parsley and green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 1-1/2 to 2 hours, adding more water, if needed.

This is a thick soup, so don't go overboard adding water.

Top each serving with chopped red onion and a dollop of cumin sauce.

To make cumin sauce: Combine all ingredients, and chill for 1 hour. Use about 1 tablespoon per serving of soup.

This is a very versatile recipe, and all ingredients may be adjusted to taste. From sous chef Laurie Spicer of The Terrace restaurant, as per the request of Louisvillian Delores Locke in Alice Colombo's 12/07/94 "Cook's Corner", "The (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal" Pg C9.

Originally formatted for Meal-Master by Cathy Harned. Re-typed and formatted by Leonard Smith. Served at the Colonial Kitchen as a soup special in fall/winter.