By Deborah Goldstein, Driven Professionals

Here’s an ingredient that I include in my recipes far too seldom: BBQ Sauce! Which makes little sense, since so many people love it, and since it can add depth and complexity to a wide range of recipes simply with the twist of a cap. In fact, my only reservations about barbecue sauces relate to their incompatibility with wine (sweetness, vinegar and spicy heat tend to be the big 3 enemies of wine on one’s palate). But who says there isn’t room for beautiful beer with a meal?

The following recipe is a favorite from my arsenal, which recently received a feisty makeover by simply adding a quantity of one special barbecue sauce. ThunderSnout is a newly-introduced small brand of artisanal BBQ sauce, invented and produced in my past home of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, NY. My old friend and colleague Michael Vincent, in cahoots with his long-time friend Dave Mundis, developed the recipe for this tangy, spicy number, and took it all the way to the World BBQ Competition in Memphis, where it took 1st place in the vinegar-based BBQ sauce category! When I finally got my paws on a bottle of ThunderSnout and sampled it, my culinary wheels immediately began turning. With this, I give you the recipe for my BBQ Black Bean Soup. To recreate it yourself, and to blow the minds of your guests this spring with the likes of BBQ’d pork shoulder or spare ribs, acquire a bottle or a case of ThunderSnout Original BBQ Sauce by visiting the official ThunderShout website. Additionally, see my past recipe for Goldie’s Cole Slaw, and transform it into a feisty slaw by adding a few dashes of ThunderSnout. Happy cooking!

Goldie’s BBQ Black Bean Soup  Print This Post

1lb black beans, soaked overnight in 6 cups cold water
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 chipotle peppers, seeded and chopped
4 oz ThunderSnout BBQ Sauce
1 cup dry red wine
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice

Add olive oil and bacon to a soup pot on medium heat. When the bacon begins to crisp, pour off all but 2 Tbsp fat.

Add onion and carrots. Incorporate thoroughly. Lower heat and cover the pot to let vegetables sweat for about 5 minutes.

Remove lid, raise heat to medium. Add peppers, ginger, and garlic.

When the garlic becomes fragrant, add chipotle and ThunderSnout BBQ Sauce. Incorporate well.

Add red wine and let about 1/2 of it evaporate.

Add water, bay leaves and Kaffir lime leaves.

Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender (about 2-2½ hours). This timing varies greatly depending on the freshness of the beans.

Season to taste with salt & pepper (get creative. For instance, use ½ kosher salt and ½ smoked salt, plus ground Szechwan peppercorns).

Add lime juice.

Take half of the soup and puree in a kitchen aide or with a hand mixer. Add the ‘whole bean’ portion back into the soup and serve.

For additional decadence, garnish with sliced ripe avocado and a dollop of sour cream! Pair with a dramatic, dense porter.

Deborah Goldstein is a successful restauranteur and founder of the Driven Women, a community composed to serve NYC professionals sharing the common goal of career advancement, while integrating family life and personal development.