Black Bean Soup — TFC's Take on Nigella's Cuban Cure

Cuba was on the bucket list. It isn't any more — not because the interest has gone, but because the current US administration appears determined to close the country down before the rest of us get a chance to see it. So this black bean soup will have to do. It is, at least, considerably easier to get to from rural Andalucía.

Nigella's Cuban Cure Black Bean Soup has been on my radar for years. The name alone earns it a place in any kitchen — there is something appealing about a soup that presents itself as medicine. The original is built on black beans, cumin, oregano, bay and a splash of dry sherry, finished with soured cream. This is the Casa Adora version: homemade chicken stock in place of water, Osborne Veterano brandy in place of sherry, and kefir or Greek yoghurt as an optional finish. The principle is identical. The postcode is different.

Black Bean Soup — What Makes It Work

This is a simple black bean soup — no blending required unless you want it smooth, no complicated technique, no long list of ingredients. The cumin and oregano are the spice backbone; the bay leaf does quiet work in the background; the brandy adds a warm depth that dry sherry would also give but Veterano does with an Andalucían accent. The lime at the end is not optional — it lifts the whole bowl.

Half a tin of Eat Wholesome Organic black beans makes a generous single serving. The full tin serves two — scale up the stock and seasoning accordingly. This is the fifth use of the case that arrived at Casa Adora on 3rd September. Seven tins to go.

If you want a Cuban black bean soup that stays true to the original, this is close. If you want to understand why Nigella called it a cure, make it on a grey Tuesday and find out for yourself.

Black Bean Soup — TFC's Take on Nigella's Cuban Cure

Serves 1 — 30 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ tin Eat Wholesome Organic black beans, drained and rinsed (~120g)
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 400ml homemade chicken stock
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch dried chilli flakes
• Splash Osborne Veterano brandy
• Juice of ½ lime
• Fresh parsley, to finish
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

To finish (optional):

• 1 tbsp homemade kefir or Greek yoghurt

Method

Soften the onion. Heat a little olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the spices. Stir in the cumin, oregano and chilli flakes. Cook for a minute, letting the spices bloom in the oil.

Add the beans and stock. Add the black beans, chicken stock and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the brandy. Splash in the Veterano and stir through. Simmer for another 2–3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Finish. Remove the bay leaf. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust.

Serve. Ladle into a bowl. Finish with fresh parsley and a spoonful of kefir or Greek yoghurt if using.

Chef's Notes

Blend it or don't. Left whole, the beans hold their shape and the soup has texture. A quick blitz with a stick blender gives something smoother and silkier — closer to the Nigella original. Both are correct; it depends on the day.

The Veterano is the Casa Adora adaptation. Dry fino sherry or a splash of dark rum are equally valid — the point is something with depth and a little alcohol to lift the beans. Don't skip it.

The kefir finish adds a cool, slightly sour note against the warm spiced soup and keeps the gut health angle intact. Homemade kefir is worth making if you don't already — it takes five minutes and keeps for a week in the fridge.

For the pure mango version without beans, the Mango Salsa with Mango Ember Hot Sauce is the one to make. For more black bean recipes from the Casa Adora kitchen, the Black Bean Recipes collection has the full picture.

This black bean soup is featured in my Soup Recipes hub — a growing collection of soups and broths from the Casa Adora kitchen. It also features in my Black Bean Recipes and Gut Health Recipes collections.

All recipe hubs → Recipe Hubs

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef