This creamy, somewhat elegant bean soup, inspired by a recipe from Patricia Quintana, serves a crowd. You can cook more shrimp if you like. If you are not a fan of shrimp, you can top with fried tortilla strips, crumbled cheese, and/or avocado. We used our Rio Zape beans but black beans would also be delicious.

For the beans:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 pound uncooked Rio Zape or Midnight Black beans, picked over and rinsed
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise 
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin
  
• 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste

For the soup base:

• 4 roma tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, quartered 
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
  
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin
• 8 avocado leaves, lightly roasted and crumbled (about ¼ cup crumbled) (optional)
• ¼ cup olive oil, lard, or sunflower oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, plus 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups half-and-half
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the soup garnish:

• 80g (2 oz) butter
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 to 6 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 16 U10 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and without heads
• 1 cup white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 8

1. To prepare the beans: In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil. Add beans, garlic, and cumin and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Add salt when the beans start to soften. Remove and discard the garlic head, then puree the beans in a blender or with an immersion blender.
2. To prepare the soup base: On a griddle, comal, or skillet, roast the tomatoes and onion quarters over medium-high heat until charred and softened, 5 to 10 minutes. In a blender, combine the roasted tomatoes and onion with the chipotle chiles, 4 whole garlic cloves, cumin, and avocado leaves, if using. Blend until smooth.
3. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat and sauté the minced garlic until slightly golden. Add the blended tomatoes and the beans and cook over medium heat until slightly reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Add broth if needed for desired consistency, then stir in the half-and-half. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. To prepare the garnish: Preheat a skillet over medium heat; add the oil and butter. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes, then add the serrano chiles and shrimp. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Remove the shrimp and transfer to a plate. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine reduces by about half. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve for garnish.
5. Presentation: Serve the hot bean soup in bowls. Garnish each bowl with 2 shrimp (or more), and drizzle with the reserved chile-onion mixture.