Years ago we ate at a restaurant in Tampa where I had what I thought was the best black bean soup in the world - I asked for the recipe and they laughed. The restaurant was completely covered with blue and white tile, inside and out, and was said to be the oldest restaurant in the country - and I can't remember the name of it but I've never forgotten the soup. We'd been in Tampa for a week on vacation and this was the first real restaurant we'd been to and our last night in Tampa - the kids were little so we were forced to eat at McDonald's for practically every meal just to keep the peace. I was so taken with this soup that when the boy had a mini-meltdown - too much sun and not enough of a nap - I immediately foisted him off on the mister and told him to walk him around - I was NOT leaving my soup! Why is this significant? Well, it was the first time the mister had EVER held his son for more than 5 minutes - and in public no less! What can I say, he was never nominated for Father of the Year. I saw this as a win/win situation - the mister got to bond with his 
son and I got to finish my soup.
This recipe is close to the soup I remember eating...time has a way of making things seem better, I'm sure, but this soup is really good and the bananas are the thing that sets it apart from all the other black bean soup recipes out there...they are a happy little surprise for your tongue! There's no trick to this soup either - soak your beans overnight, skim off the foam, add ALL of the Tabasco sauce and if you don't have an immersion blender then now is the time to buy one - or else you can use your regular blender but it's such a pain!
Black Bean Soup With Bananas from Jacques Pepin's Kitchen, Cooking With Claudine
(Yep, Jacques again - before I stuck his cookbook back on the shelf I just had to give this recipe a try because he said it was his favorite black bean soup. I served this to my quilt group today and everyone said they liked it - and they loved the bananas!)
1 pound dried black beans
3 quarts cool water
1/2 cup brown rice
8 ounces pancetta or lightly smoked bacon
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped, about 1/4 cup
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence (available in the grocery store in the spice section)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon salt (less if the pancetta is salty)
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco Sauce
4 bananas
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
sour cream - optional
Remove and discard any debris or damaged beans, and wash the remaining beans well in cool water. Drain the beans, place them in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak overnight or for 12 hours.
Drain the beans, and place them in a pot with the 3 quarts of cool water. Add the rice. Cut the pancetta or bacon into 1/4-inch pieces, and add them to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, uncovered (which will take about 20 minutes) stirring occasionally. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook for 1 hour.
Add the onions, garlic, Herbes de Provence, chili powder, tomatoes, and salt to the pot, then stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
Using a hand blender, emulsify the mixture in the pot for about 5 to 10 seconds. (Or remove 2 cups of the mixture, puree it in a food processor or blender, and put back in the pot.) The object is to thicken the mixture slightly wihile still maintaining its overall chunkiness.
In a small bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, and Tabasco, then add the mixture to the soup. Peel the bananas and cut them into 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch pieces. Toss them in a small bowl with the lemon juice and pepper. Pour the hot soup into bowls and add about 2 heaping tablespoons of the bananas to the soup. Serve immediately and pass the sour cream. Makes 8 servings. 
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more commonplace than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent." Calvin Coolidge
(I'd like to add that finding and making a great Black Bean Soup is pretty darn close to omnipotent.)
