Black Bean Soup with Cauliflower Croutons

I admit, this one got weird.  Blame the cholesterol test.  I was in the mood for black beans and started going through the crisper.  The upside was using parsley instead of bay leaf, which tends to overpower the beans.

Funny thing was, this ended up tasting exactly as I wanted it to.  I would have puréed half of it in the blender if I'd felt like cleaning it, to create a thicker texture.  The taste of a slightly bean-y French Onion Soup was just what I wanted.

And what goes well on French Onion but cheesy croutons.  These actually worked better than I imagined.  They do soften during the roasting process, but retain just enough crunch to serve the purpose.  And being coated in cheese doesn't hurt.

I preferred the texture of soaked beans for this.  If you open a can, omit the added salt.

3/4 C dry black beans or 1 can drained
1 qt unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tb olive oil, divided
1/2 C diced onion
*2 ribs celery, diced
*1 Tb fresh tarragon, finely chopped
*1/2 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 oz fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
salt and cracked pepper to taste
2 C cauliflower florets (frozen ok)
*1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1.  Soak black beans for 4-8 hours.  Drain and rinse.  Bring beans and stock to a low boil over medium heat.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

2.  Start preheating the oven to 400º.  In a soup pot, heat 1 Tb oil over medium heat.  Add diced onion and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and herbs, and cook until everything starts to wilt.

3.  Add broth and bean mixture and simmer, covered, over low heat while you make the croutons.

4.  In a bowl, toss florets with the other Tb of oil.  Add cheese and toss until it sticks.  Spread out in a single layer on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes, move them around a bit, and cook another 10 minutes.  This works the same with frozen florets.  Do not defrost them first, or they'll get mushy.

5.  If desired, purée the soup in batches.  Return to heat until serving temperature.  Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and top with the cauliflower croutons.

Difficulty rating  :)