Ingredients
Two cups of dried black beans
5-6 cups water
1-inch piece Kombu
1-2 bay leaf
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp soy sauce
Preparation
Wash beans with your hands in a bowl of water.
Rinse well, lift them from the bowl of water with your palm into another medium pot.
Check for any stones or unwanted debris.
Add two cups of water to the pot and soak for about 8 hours or overnight.
Add three cups more water to the pot and Kombu. Bring to a rolling boil, using a stainless-steel flat strainer, skim off any foam at the top.
Keep boiling and skimming until all the thick foam is gone.
Lower the flame to medium-low and cook down until the bean level has no more liquid on top, after approximately 1 hour.
Currently, add bay leaf and two more cups of water, pouring to the side of the pot to not disturb the beans.
Make sure the beans are soft and add salt. Cook on simmer for an additional ½ hour.
Add soy sauce and any other herbs desired.
Suitable to use a flame diffuser at the end of cooking, so the bean starch does not stick on the bottom.
Beans contain lots of starch & will thicken when cooled. To make soup, add Water and seasoning as needed.