Easy Peasy Jamaican Black Bean Soup with Dumplings

Black bean soup with boiled dumplings

I found this recipe on a website called ethnic spicy food and more.com. I know Jamaican foodies would say, where is the oxtail? Where is the salt beef? And they would be right. But for a quick and easy meal with that authentic taste and is ready in 20 minutes--well this is it.

2 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped fine
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (add more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 small scotch bonnet pepper, minced and seeded (for more heat, use seeds at your discretion!)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (I didn't have any. Oops!)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (increased from 1/2 cup)
2 Italian sausages (sweet or hot), fried and sliced (my addition, and this is optional)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely (tastes better than dried parsley in the original recipe!)

Cook the vegetables. In a 12 inch sauce pan, heat the oil. Sauté the onions, sweet pepper, garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet pepper for 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. I watch the onion. When it wilts and turns transparent, then the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the broth, thyme, and the drained beans. Bring to a boil. Then simmer 15-20 minutes. Add the salt.

Puree the vegetables. While the soup is simmering, fry the sausages. Chop cooked sausages into chunks and set aside. When the vegetables are cooked through, spoon half of the pot into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the vegetables become a thick purée. Return the purée to the pot and mix with the remainder of the vegetables. The soup will become that characteristic red-brown color that we call Stew Peas on the island.

Add the finishing touches. Add the coconut milk, sausage chunks, and cilantro. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with dumplings.

All right. That was easy. And so far, the soup was fairly low in calories and fat. But dumplings? Are all those carbs necessary? Well, you can leave out the dumplings if you want, but authentic Stew Peas must have dumplings! This recipe is my mom's and it's oh-so easy to make!

Boiled Dumplings
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all vegetable shortening (sure, less guilt!)
water

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Put the shortening in a glass one-cup measure and fill with water to the top of the line. Microwave for about 60 seconds. Stir. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 2/3 of the shortening-water mixture to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Add about 1 tablespoon of the reserved water to the mixture to make a sticky dough. 

Boil about 4 cups of water. Pinch off about 1/2 tablespoon of dough and roll it between your hands to make a short  stumpy cigar. Put each dumpling in the boiling water and return the water to the boil. When cooked through, the dumplings will rise to the top.

Banh Mi: Vietnamese Submarine Sandwiches

What has savory Asian flavors sandwiched between two pieces of French baguette? I am describing banh mi the Vietnamese version of the sub sandwich. The original recipe from Bon Appetit/ Epicurious  called for daikon the Japanese radish, but I didn't have time to go to Chinatown to buy it. So I substituted celery and green pepper, which is what I had on hand. I think cucumber would also do. The important thing is to combine vegetables for their texture and color.

Vegetable Pickle
 2 cups coarsely grated carrot
1 cup coarsely grated celery or cucumber
1 cup coarsely grated sweet green pepper
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Toss all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside for at least 1 hour.

 Meatballs
1 pound ground pork or ground chicken (I used chicken)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, finely minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I recommend Sriracha Sauce)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Scoop up an even tablespoon of meat and roll into a 1 inch ball. Place on a baking tray. One pound of meat will make 24 meatballs.

1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil

In a 12 inch skillet, heat the sesame oil. Brown the meatballs, turning frequently, for 10-15 minutes. Cover the skillet and put it in the oven to keep warm.

Hot Chili Mayonnaise
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I recommend Sriracha sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate. This can be made a day ahead.

Assembling the Sandwiches
Split the bread horizontally. Using your fingers, dig out the center of the top and bottom of the bread.

Spread the hot chili mayonnaise generously on both sides of the bread. Put the cilantro on the bottom.

Layer the meatballs on top of the cilantro. About 6 meatballs per sandwich. Use a pair of tongs to lift out the pickled vegetables, lightly shaking off any excess liquid, and spread the vegetables evenly over the top of the meatballs. 

Close the "lid" and eat!