Many New Orleans chefs swear that eating this traditional Cajun-style soup brings good luck. They also say that it can cool you down on a hot summer day. I decided to test both theories. Here are my findings. First, I found that the earthy basil and oregano flavors mixed together with the vibrant sweet paprika created such an incredible taste explosion in my mouth that I forgot my research. It was difficult to tell if my luck was improving. Then I got lost in the glorious textures of the red beans and basmati rice. Soupermom put me back on track. She said I couldn’t have any more unless I followed through with my test. So I took the soup into my gym’s sauna and ate a few spoonfuls. I was gleefully happy. I then got kicked out of the sauna because there is a “no soup in the sauna” rule that I missed. Frustrating! I then realized that the temperature in downtown DC was hotter than the sauna, so I sat right down in Rock Creek Park and gobbled up my soup. Let me tell you – it was just like sitting next to an a/c unit. Then I won the lottery. Then there was an earthquake. What was up with the earthquake??? Thus concluded my study. Aren’t we all glad I’m not a scientist?

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. I decided to do some research into her writing of the book and found quite an interesting story. It turns out that half way through writing the book, she had complete writer’s block. Her friend, Truman Capote, learned of her troubles and brought her some soup, as any good friend would. The soup had all the summer basics – garden fresh vegetables, beans, and tons of basil. But Truman added his secret “writer’s block breaking” weapon – Quinoa! Harper took one bite and her eyes opened wide. She exclaimed, “what is this magical grain in this soup?!” “Aaah, yes, Quinoa,” he replied. “Chock full of protein, vitamin B, iron, calcium, potassium, and more, Quinoa is sure to kick any writers block. Plus, its slightly sweet and nutty flavor is nothing short of awesome. Awesome, Harper!” Harper turned back to her computer and began typing away. She decided to name one of the primary characters “Quinoa” in honor of the soup. But at the first reading with her publisher, he kept mispronouncing the name, so she decided on “Boo” instead. True story.

It was a hot, hot August day in El Paso, Texas. The year was 1823. Johnny Beano shuffled into the bar and ordered himself a cup of black bean soup. Billy the bartender replied, “Listen, I don’t want any trouble, but it clearly says on the door – no black bean soup served here.” Johnny Beano replied, “Well maybe you folks oughta try my black bean soup before you kick me outta here.” A few heads turned, and the bartender hesitated. “Let’s hear him out, Billy!” shouted Can Can Shirley. “All right kid, let’s see what you’ve got,” said Billy. Johnny Beano headed to the kitchen and whipped out a few of his favorite spices from his bag – oregano, chili powder, cumin, and his secret ingredients – agave, sherry and cinnamon. He threw in some seasonal veggies and let the soup cook for a while on the stove. By the time he had finished simmering it, the aromas had wafted all over town, and people had lined up around the block to taste Johnny Beano’s soup. Needless to say, by the end of the day the sign on the door had changed to “We serve only Beano’s Black Bean Soup here.” Billy walked up to him, patted him on the back, and said, “Well, clearly they don’t call you Johnny Beano for nothing.” Johnny replied, “Actually, my original name was Johnny Beanerofskowitz but they changed it at Ellis Island.  Long story.” Then he hopped on his horse and rode off into the sunset.