Cuban Black Bean Soup - 2 Quarts

Makes 8 cups

1pound dried black beans 1 ham hock 5 cups chicken stock 1½ cups chopped onion ¾ cup chopped red pepper 3garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1½ tablespoons oregano ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons dry sherry

Calories 243 (5% from fat) • carb. 38g • pro. 17g • fat 1g • sat. fat 0g • chol. 5mg • sod. 685mg • calc. 56mg • fiber 13g

Sort beans and pick out any stones or bits of dirt. Soak beans overnight (8 hours or more) in water to cover by 3 inches. Drain and rinse. Place beans in ceramic pot of the Cuisinart® Slow Cooker with ham hock, chicken stock, chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Cover and press the on/off button to turn the unit on. Set time to 3 hours and press High; once slow cooker switches to Warm, set timer for 6 hours and press Simmer. Slow cooker will automatically switch to Warm when cooking time has elapsed. Remove and discard bay leaf. Remove ham hock; let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove meat, chop and reserve. Stir in salt. Use a potato masher or Cuisinart® Hand Blender on Low speed with a gentle up-and-down motion to mash/purée beans. *You may partially or totally purée the soup. Stir in reserved ham, vinegar and sherry.