COLE'S COOKING A TO Z by Annette Gooch

Soup fit for the main course at supper is big on flavour, texture and all-around satisfaction.

It's not the sort of soup you can throw together in a rush, but rather one you purposefully make ahead a day or two so the flavours have time to develop and meld.

It's hearty soup, but not too rich for your blood or your budget. It's wholesome, and it tastes wonderful because you make it yourself from fresh, good-quality ingredients.

It's soup you look forward to sitting down to at the end of a long day.

SUCCESS TIP

— Black beans, also known as "turtle beans," are available dried or canned in most supermarkets and natural food stores. They're also sold at stores specializing in Mexican, South American and Caribbean foods.

This meal-in-a bowl is beefed up with blade-cut chuck roast, the same cut you might use for pot roast. As colourful and satisfying as minestrone, the soup needs only a salad and some whole-grain bread to complete the menu.

MILANESE VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP

1 blade-cut chuck roast (3 ½ to 4 pounds), well-trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet red onions, sliced and separated into rings

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

½ cup chopped parsley

1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil

10 cups water

1 cup dry red wine (optional)

1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, coarsely chopped, in their liquid

1 medium boiling potato, thinly sliced

1 package (nine ounces) frozen Italian green beans, thawed, or one can (approximately 16 ounces) Italian cannellini, Great Northern or other white beans, drained

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (optional)

2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained

Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut roast into large chunks, trimming and discarding as much fat as possible. In a large, heavy pot (at least six-quart size), heat oil and brown meat and bones well.

Mix in onions and cook until limp. Add carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, salt, basil, water and, if used, red wine. Bring to a boil, cover, immediately reduce heat, and simmer slowly for about three hours, until meat is very tender and broth is flavourful.

2. Remove meat and bones from broth with a slotted spoon. Discard bones and fat; return meat to broth. Defat broth or cover and chill overnight until fat is congealed; skim fat from surface before reheating.

3. To the defatted broth add tomatoes and their liquid and the potato. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, until potato is tender (about 30 minutes).

Add green beans and, if used, zucchini; cook for about ten minutes longer, just until tender.

Note: If desired, soup can be refrigerated at this point and reheated before serving. When soup is hot and nearly ready for serving, stir in spinach and cook about three minutes. Taste; adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve hot; pass Parmesan cheese at the table.

Serves six.

Besides making delicious soup, black beans are economical and a source of fibre and iron, as well as protein. For this recipe, cooking the beans slowly provides better flavour than using canned beans.

To preserve the dark colour of the beans, don't presoak them before cooking them. If you prefer, omit the bacon and ham, and use vegetable broth or water rather than chicken broth. Accompany this stick-to-your-ribs soup with warm tortillas or cornbread and a finger salad.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

3 thick slices bacon, chopped in ½-inch pieces

2 large onions, coarsely minced

4 large garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water ½ pound baked ham or turkey ham, cut in ½-inch dice

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons crumbled dried oregano

2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed

2 teaspoons crumbled dried thyme

3 whole cloves

½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 pound dried black turtle beans, picked over, rinsed in cold water and drained

Salt, to taste

GARNISHES

1 pint sour cream or plain yogurt

2 large tomatoes, chopped

½ cup (approximately) minced green onions

Pickled jalapeno chilies, sliced

Grated jack cheese, to taste Chopped avocado, to taste

Bottled salsa, to taste

1. In a large, heavy pot (three-quart size or larger), over medium heat, cook bacon until it begins to brown. Add onions and garlic, decrease heat to medium-low and sauté, stirring often, until onions are transparent (about ten minutes).

2. Add broth, water, ham, cumin, oregano, coriander, thyme, cloves and pepper. Stir in beans, bring to a boil, and lower heat to a simmer.

Simmer, partly covered, until beans are tender (2 ½ to three hours), stirring occasionally. If too much liquid evaporates, add one additional cup water to the simmering beans.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove about half the beans, reserving the other half in the pot, and place in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade or in a blender.

If using a blender, work in two batches, if necessary. Alternatively, use a potato masher. Puree beans; stir puree back into the beans on the pot. Soup may be cooled at this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to two days.

4. Reheat soup over low heat, stirring often, for about ten minutes. Taste; add salt if needed.

To serve, ladle soup into deep soup bowls, and top each portion with a dollop of sour cream. At the table, pass small bowls of tomato, green onions, jalapeno chilies, cheese, avocado and salsa for adding to the soup as desired.

Serves six as a main dish.