As some of you may be aware, California has been hit with some stormy weather recently. We warm-weather low-landers don’t do cold and wet too well and for the last several days of rainy and cold I’ve been craving some hot, hearty, black bean soup. I love black bean soup thick, almost stew-like; if you like yours thinner, feel free to add water or more chicken stock to this recipe. Soup like this is mostly an improvisation. The foundation ingredients are the black beans, the smoked ham hock, the onions, and the spices. But even the ham hock you could substitute with some good bacon. Starting out with dry beans means that you can cook them (after a good soaking) for a long time with the smokey ham, allowing the flavor to really infuse the beans. Do you have a favorite way of preparing black bean soup? If so, please let us know in the comments.

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