Recipe: Cuban Navy Bean Soup (Potaje de Judias)

CUBAN NAVY BEAN SOUP
(POTAJE DE JUDIAS)

"Each Cuban cook has a personal recipe for navy bean soup. In my mother's kitchen the soup resembles the Spanish favada Asturians - Austrian Stew - while other chefs add cabbage and pumpkin to produce a dish more Creole than Spanish. Regardless of the variations, this thick, rich potaje is a meal in itself."

1 cup dried Navy beans, rinsed in cold water, picked over, and left in water to cover overnight
2 1/2 quarts Water
1 Bay leaf
1 (2 ounce) piece salt pork, rind removed
1/4 cup Spanish olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
2 cups drained and chopped canned whole tomatoes
1 medium-size all-purpose potato, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron (or 3 to 4 saffron threads, crushed)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced fresh pumpkin Calabaza or Hubbard or butternut squash (optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Drain the beans, place them in a large saucepan with the 2 1/2 quarts water, bay leaf, and salt pork, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding additional water if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil over low heat until fragrant and cook the garlic, onions, and ham, stirring, 6-8 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

When the beans are tender, add the tomato mixture, potato, saffron, salt, pepper, cumin, cabbage, and pumpkin or squash. Continue cooking another 30 minutes, adding more hot water if necessary. Remove the salt pork and discard. Mix well and serve garnished with the parsley.

Makes 8 servings
Source: Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Mary Urrutia Randelman and Joan Schwartz