Coconut‑Milk Black‑Bean Soup Shooters with Smoky Sausage and Fennel

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent at the edges.

Add the sliced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and just golden. Stir in the grated tomato and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture deepens in color and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Push the soffritto to the edges of the pot. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the center and let it shimmer. Add the crumbled sausage in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes without stirring, until deeply browned at the contact points with the pan. Toss and cook 1 minute more. Mix the browned sausage into the soffritto.

Stir in the diced fennel and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened and fragrant — you should catch a hint of anise from the fennel. Season lightly with salt.

Add the drained black beans and pour in the chicken broth. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a lively simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the heavy cream and stir to incorporate. Simmer gently 3-4 minutes more, until the soup is rich and slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth and velvety, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper — the soup should be well-seasoned and creamy, not watery.

Ladle the hot soup into small shooter glasses or cups — fill about three-quarters full. Squeeze a generous amount of lime juice over each serving and scatter fresh cilantro leaves on top. Serve immediately while piping hot, with extra lime wedges on the side.

Before serving, verify the soup has reached and maintained at least 165°F (74°C) using a calibrated thermometer — this is especially important after blending as the temperature may have dropped below safe threshold.