Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

 * ½ cup unsalted butter
 * ½ cup diced carrots
 * ½ cup diced onions
 * ½ cup diced celery
 * 1 cup broccoli stems, peeled and diced
 * 2 teaspoons dried thyme
 * 2 teaspoons dried oregano
 * 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves
 * ¼ cup dry white wine
 * 4 cups chicken stock, hot
 * 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
 * ½ teaspoon tabasco sauce (i like cholula)
 * 1 cup diced smoked chicken
 * 1 cup cooked black beans
 * 1 cup broccoli florets
 * 2 cups heavy cream
 * salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
 * 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with a small amount of warm water (optional)

Directions

 * 1) In ¼ cup butter, saute carrots, onion, celery and broccoli stems for 5 minutes.
 * 2) Add thyme, oregano and basil; saute 5 minutes more.
 * 3) Add wine and deglaze pan.
 * 4) Add hot chicken stock and reduce by one-third.
 * 5) Add Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, smoked chicken, beans and broccoli florets; simmer 5 minutes.
 * 6) Add cream, simmer 5 minutes more and season to taste (thicken with cornstarch if desired).
 * 7) Drop in remaining butter, piece by piece, stirring until melted and serve immediately.

Smoked chicken

 * 1) On a covered grill, slightly smoke boneless chicken, cooking to medium rare (about 30 minutes).
 * 2) Chef Meskan uses applewood chips and does not allow the grill to become too hot.