Roasted Tomatillo and Three Bean Soup

I love working with new ingredients!  It is one thing to have had something or tried something, but it is another thing to actually work with it!  And of course, I love doing my research on products that I am not accustom to.  I always find it interesting to read what area things are indigenous to and what family they are a part of.

 So yes, I am no longer a virgin when it comes to cooking with tomatillos.  One thing that I learned is that after removing the paper husk from these little guys, you must wash them in warm water thoroughly to remove the sticky sap that is coated around them. 

Interestingly enough, these little bad boys used to be called tomates and still are named that in Mexico...just a little food for thought ;)



Something to note is that tomatillos are incredibly tart.  So the soup was not just flat and one dimensional, I decided to add in guajillo peppers to give the soup a bit of a smoky spice flavor.  Stands up nicely to the tartness!

Roasted Tomatillo and Three Bean Soup

Ingredients:

6-8 tomatillos

4 dried guajillos (seeds removed)

6 c water

2 vegan bouillon cubes (or 6 c veggie broth and disregard water)

1 tbsp liquid smoke

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 yellow onion chopped

3 garlic cloves minced

1 can chili beans (do not drain/rinse)

1 can white beans drained and rinsed

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

2 tsp adobo seasoning

s+p

favorite hot sauce (optional)

2 tbsp evoo separated 

Directions:

Preheat oven 400.  Remove paper husk from tomatillos and rise with warm water and remove sap.  Toss with evoo and bake in baking dish for about 45 minutes. 

 In meantime, deseed dried guajillo peppers.  Bring 6 c water and bouillon cubes to a boil, stirring so they dissolve.  Once boiling, add in guajillo peppers, turn heat to low or off and cover for about 20-25 minutes.  

Remove tomatillos from oven and transfer to blender.  Add in guajillo peppers and broth to the blender as well and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

In saute pan, heat evoo and saute garlic and onions for about 3-5 minutes.  Add in green bell pepper and saute for another few minutes.  Add in your pureed tomatillo/guajillo mixture.  Add in remaining ingredients and bring to boil.  Turn to low and cover for about 20 minutes.  Blend a few cups of the soup and return to pot.  

Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream (optional), garnish with cilantro and have corn tortillas on hand for dipping purposes!