Bajan Black Bean Soup

==Ingredients==
* 2½ cups dried black beans, soaked-overnight
* 1 large or 2 small ham hocks
* 3 to 3.5 quarts water
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 2 to 3 large onions
* 4 cloves garlic
* 3 small [f[fresh chile pepper|fresh green peppers]] - jalapenos preferred
* 8 berries allspice coarsely-crushed
* 2 tsp brown sugar (or 1 tsp of molasses)
* 3 tbsp tomato paste
* ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
* salt
* grated rind and juice from one lemon
==Directions==
# Put the drained beans and hock in a very large pan, cover with the cold water and bring gradually to a boil.
# Leave to simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
# In a frying pan heat the olive oil, then gently fry the onion, garlic and chile with the allspice and lemon rind, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
# Add this mixture to the beans and go on simmering for 2 hours, by which time the beans should be tender.
# At this point add the sugar, lemon juice, and tomato puree.
# Cook for another 30 minutes.
# Add salt if necessary.
# Remove the hock, and pick off any meat.
# If you would like a smooth soup, as mine (the author) was, process the mixture in batches and return with the meat to the pan.
# Otherwise, for a rougher texture crush with a potato masher.
# If the mixture seems too thick at this stage, add more water and bring back to the boil for a minute or two.
Category:Barbadian Soups
Category:Black bean Recipes
Category:Brown sugar Recipes
Category:Fresh chile pepper Recipes
Category:Crème fraîche Recipes
Category:Ham hock Recipes
Category:Maple syrup Recipes
Category:Onion Recipes
Category:Garlic Recipes
Category:Tomato paste Recipes