Even though I substitute black beans for the original recipe’s “lean beef stew meat (1 lb.)” in this soup, I keep the name because it’s part of this soup’s story. Communion soup comes from the ladies at the Goehner, NE United Church of Christ (1), where the Ghana Partnership Committee I’ve been a part of has met, and it’s how they use up the leftover communion wine. Smart. And delicious.
As with any soup, you can vary the ratios to taste.
[] 2 T extra virgin olive oil
[] 2 medium or large red onions, chopped
[] 8 cloves fresh or 1 T jarred minced garlic
[] veg broth (I use water as-needed and 2 cubes)
[] 2 cans corn
[] 2-3 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
[] 1 pkg. (12 oz.) white mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
[] 1 jar (15 1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
[] 1 cup red wine (or a little more… one for me, one for the soup)
[] salt to taste (or seasoned salt, such as Krazy Jane’s) (1 tsp.)
[] black pepper to taste (1 tsp.)
[] sugar to taste (1 tsp.)
[] soy sauce to taste (2 T)
[] fresh or dried parsley to taste (1 tsp. fresh, 1/2 tsp. dried)
[] nutmeg to taste (1/4 tsp.)
[] oregano to taste (1/2 tsp.)
Heat 2 T extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of your BAP (2) over medium heat. Add the onion; sautee. (I like to leave a little crunch in them.) When the onion is almost done, clear a hot spot in the bottom of the pan by pushing the onion to the edge, and add the garlic; sautee for a minute
or two, until fragrant.
Add corn, beans, spaghetti sauce, wine, veg broth (as much liquid as you like, when the other ingredients are in) and spices (everything but the mushrooms) (3). Heat through and simmer for at least 10 minutes; when you’re almost ready to eat, add mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes; serve. This soup is great to pair with bread & cheese.
(1) Who got it from Joan Moss at Rowan Church, who got it from the Iowa State Fair, where Betty Dreyer of Indianola won first place in a slow cooker contest with it as “Beef & Corn Soup.”
(2) Big Ass Pot.
(3) Careful adding the first liquid to the hot pot. If you’re worried, you can turn of the heat for a bit before adding those ingredients.