“Excuse me waiter, they’re bugs in my soup!” Most of us hopefully won’t ever need to go through something as horrible as finding bugs in our soup at a restaurant, but when having guests over for the annual Halloween BOO-ffet, this soup will be a hit. The “bugs” are black beans and black rice. Black rice is getting easier to find; it is sold at Asian grocery stores and is called black rice, forbidden rice, or emperor’s rice. Many larger grocery stores feature this nutritious rice in the bulk foods section. While it is often used in Asian desserts, it is a perfect soup rice, and in this case, for Halloween, it can resemble “bugs” if the suggestion is put out there. This flavorful soup is easy to make, and when it isn’t Halloween, it can be referred to as Bacon, Black Bean, and Rice Soup.

Although it’s nice to chop fresh onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and jalapeno peppers, you may substitute dried to save time. When substituting dried vegetables, use 1/4 of the amounts of fresh, i.e., 1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes for 2 cups fresh onions, etc. A large slow cooker is perfect for keeping the soup warm on the BOO-ffet table, and if you can find a giant cauldron that will accommodate your slow cooker, it will really set the mood. Serve this yummy soup with freshly baked festive Halloween breads (dough made in the automatic bread machine is easy and quick), such as Halloween Spider Loaf, Healthy Brittle Bones, Wicked Witch’s Fingers, or any of the other Halloween breads featured on this site. The soup takes about 30 minutes hands-on time, but can be made several days ahead, and even frozen if it’s more convenient.

18 Servings

1 pound bacon, preferably peppered, coarsely chopped

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper (more or less to taste)

20 cups water
1/4 cup granular chicken bouillon
11/4 cups Black Rice

2 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place the bacon in a large Dutch oven or soup pot; cook it over medium heat, stirring often, until it is crisp.
2. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.
3. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeno peppers to the bacon fat and stir until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the water, chicken bouillon, and rice.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and let cook about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
6. Stir in the beans, parsley, and bacon.
7. Bring to a boil and let cook 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend; taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.
Note: The soup will thicken on standing

Amount Per Serving
Calories 178 Calories from Fat 47
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 26% Protein 20% Carb. 54%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 8 mg
Sodium 428 mg
Total Carbohydrate 24 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 9 g

Vitamin A 45% Vitamin C 27% Calcium 0% Iron 7%