SMOKEY BLACK BEAN SOUP (22 minutes, high pressure)

Use either homemade unsalted chicken broth or low-sodium canned as the smoked ham hock and chorizo sausage usually provide sufficient salt for the entire soup.

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

4 cups water

4 cups unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth or additional water 1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed 1 meaty smoked ham hock or turkey drumstick

1/2 pound chorizo or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 large green bell peppers, seeded and diced

3 large bay leaves

2 tablespoons dry sherry Salt to taste

Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, diced tomato and/or avocado

1.Press COOK MODE Button until the Red Indicator Light next to BROWN is lit. Press the START/STOP Button until the Green START Indicator Light illuminates and the Red BROWN Indicator Light flashes. Heat oil in Pressure Cooker. Add onions, cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook onions about 2 minutes more. Turn off heat, stir in paprika. Immediately transfer onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

2.Add water, broth, beans, ham hock, sausage, peppers, bay leaves to Pressure Cooker.

3.Pull Lid Handles apart and set Lid on Pressure Cooker. Slide Safety Lock to LOCK position. Point Pressure Regulator Knob to PRESSURE.

4.Set PRESSURE MODE for HIGH and COOK TIME for 22 minutes. Press START Button.

5.When Pressure Cooker beeps three times, STOP Light will illuminate. Allow pres- sure to come down naturally for 10 minutes. Quickly release any remaining pres- sure by holding down QUICK STEAM RELEASE Button until red Pressure Indicator Rod drops.

6.Slide Safety Lock to UNLOCK. Pull Lid Handles apart and remove Lid.

7.Remove ham hock and bay leaves. Stir in onion mixture and sherry. Add salt to taste. Press COOK MODE Button until the Red Indicator Light next to BROWN is lit. Press the START/STOP Button until the Green START Indicator Light illumi- nates and the Red BROWN Indicator Light flashes. Boil uncovered, stirring occa- sionally, for 5 minutes (or longer, if needed, for beans to become very tender.)

8.Meanwhile, chop meat from ham hock (there won't be much) and add it to soup. Soup will thicken as it stands, but if you wish to thicken it immediately, mash about a cupful of beans against side of Pressure Cooker, blend mash into soup.

9.Garnish individual portions with cilantro, diced tomatoes and/or avocados, if you wish.

Serves 7 to 8

Adapted from THE PRESSURED COOK, copyright Lorna Sass, 1998. By permission of Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

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