This Easy Mexican Bean Soup is proof that some good stock will go a long way in your kitchen!
I used the Better Vegetable Stock from last week, but I've also tried it with this homemade chicken stock and it is scrumptious.
As further proof that the stock is the most important ingredient in this recipe, I used canned beans and it still came out full-stop delicious. Sure, if you use home-cooked beans you'll get an upgrade, but don't worry about that until you have some tasty stock in the kitchen.
How To Make Mexican Bean Soup
So yes, maybe the title of this post should be "Good Stock For The Win" because you can literally use any bean you want in this recipe once the stock is in place.
I used Black beans, but you can use Pinto or Peruano and get an equally good result.
As mentioned, I'm using the Better Vegetable Stock from last week. It has an umami injection from nutritional yeast and I was thrilled with the results after experimenting with that uncommon ingredient.
Once your kitchen is stocked the rest is easy.
Start by roasting the tomatoes. I usually just plop them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes. Other ways to roast tomatoes.
Once they've been roasting for a bit you can start sweating the onion and garlic in some oil over medium heat:
You can roughly chop the 1/2 onion and leave the garlic cloves whole as all of this is going in the blender eventually.
Once the tomatoes are mostly roasted you can add them to the pan.
Along with:
2 cups cooked beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
2 cups of your awesome stock
1 chipotle in adobo (de-stemmed and de-seeded)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste after blending)
The chipotle isn't crucial in this recipe -- it just gives the soup a little background heat. You can omit it or use only half of it if you want a milder version. And feel free to substitute a fresh jalapeno if that's all you have.
If possible, try this recipe with some Mexican oregano as it works really well in this dish, but don't sweat it if you don't have any. What is Mexican Oregano?
Bring everything to a uniform temp and then give it a whirl in the blender.
I usually leave it a bit chunky, but you are welcome to blend it smoother if you want.
Bring to a simmer and take a final taste for seasoning.
Don't forget that the exact salt amount will depend on which stock you use! Since my homemade veggie stock is only partially seasoned I ended up using a heaping teaspoon of salt for this batch, but your mileage may vary.
I also added another generous pinch of Mexican oregano to this batch.
You can serve this up once it's been simmering for a few minutes, but if for any reason it's still a little thin for your taste then just let it simmer a little longer and it will thicken up. Conversely, if your batch seems thick just add a splash of stock to thin it out.
I topped this batch with:
Mexican Crema
Freshly chopped cilantro
Squeezes of lime
And it was full blown yummers! It's a real treat to make such a rewarding dish using simple, healthy ingredients.
Okay don't forget that you can use any bean type in this recipe as long as your stock is up to snuff! For detailed instructions on making stock check out these posts:
Use What You Have Chicken Stock
Both are great options for this Mexican Bean Soup recipe and you'll be able to use that stock in your enchilada sauces as well. This marks the temporary end of me raving about homemade stock 🙂
Buen Provecho.
Easy Mexican Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked beans (or a 15 oz. can)
- 2 cups stock
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 plum tomatoes
- 1 chipotle in adobo
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil
For the garnish (optional):
- Mexican Crema
- squeeze of lime
- freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Give the tomatoes a good rinse. I usually de-stem them as well knowing that any juices in the roasting pan will go in the blender too. Roast the tomatoes in the oven (400F) for 20-25 minutes.
- Once the tomatoes have been roasting for a bit, saute the roughly chopped 1/2 onion in some oil over medium heat along with the peeled garlic cloves. You can leave the garlic cloves whole as all of this is going in the blender eventually.
- Add the roasted tomatoes to the onion-garlic mixture along with: 2 cups cooked beans, 2 cups stock, 1 chipotle in adobo, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. I usually drain and rinse canned beans.
- Bring this mixture to a uniform temp and then combine well in a blender. I usually leave it a bit chunky. Be sure to use caution when blending warm ingredients as steam can create upwards pressure on the lid.
- Add the bean mixture back to the pan and bring it up to a simmer. Once simmering be sure to give it a final taste for seasoning! I added more salt at this point (so a heaping teaspoon total for this batch) and another generous pinch of Mexican oregano.
- Serve immediately with your choice of garnish. I used Mexican Crema, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.
Notes
Still hungry?!
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DCW
I made this soup for a group brunch and was it ever popular! I used a can of pinto beans and 2 cans of refried beans (since that's what I had in the pantry). The chipotles really gave it a delish smoky flavor. Topped with cilantro, crema, and a squeeze of lime, it called for second and third helpings. Your recipes are awesome . . . thanks for sharing!
PS - since reading your emails, I always roast my tomatoes now.
Patrick
Ahhh good to hear, so glad you tried this one out! And really glad to hear you are a roasted tomato convert for life 🙂 Cheers.
Flo
Very easy and delicious soup.
Patrick
Thanks Flo!
Karen Fitton
I just found this great website last night. I couldn't wait to make this soup today as I had a pot of cooked black beans waiting to be eaten. It turned out great! I changed up some of the seasonings as my husband can't take spicy food and I don't particularly tolerate it either. I used regular oregano, smoked paprika, California paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, a drop of bbq sauce, a couple of drops of Sriracha Sauce, and my roasted tomatoes from the freezer. WOW!!
I'm looking forward to making many more recipes from Mexican Please. I'm going to do the class.
Patrick
Hey thanks for mentioning your adjustments Karen, so glad this one is a hit for you! Cheers.
Meghan
Fantastico!!! I made this last night and loved the flavor mixture. So easy to put together and a hearty meal for everyone. Delicious! Thank you Patrick for the simple and thorough instructions. I love your thoughtful tips and the recipe with ingredients list to refer to at the bottom. Bueno!!
Meghan
Patrick
Thanks Meghan, so glad this one was a hit for you guys! Cheers.
Lily Beauvais
This tastes amazing! I love the earthiness of the beans and how it compliments the spiciness of the adobo! Because I had no tomatoes, I roasted bell peppers as a substitute. My only complaint is the need for so much salt. I had to add 3 tablespoons before reaching a desirable flavor.
Patrick
Thanks Lily! Three tablespoons sounds like a lot of salt -- did you mean 3 teaspoons?
Joy N. Hart
Forgot to tell you that I ordered Mexican Oregano from Savory & Spice and you are sooo right about it being different. I love it!!! Thanks for writing about it, Patrick.
Patrick
Ahh that's good news, so glad you have some in the kitchen now! Cheers.
Joy N. Hart
Muy bueno😘 Used the nutritional yeast as I'm a vegetarian and about a teaspoon of the adobo as I'm cooking for just one. I have enough of the roasted salsa to put into el fridgadora por otra dia. As soon as I eat this up I'm making the mango and black bean combo on corn tortillas made from Bob's Mill. ❤️ Eating Mex!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for the feedback Joy, so glad you made this soup with some good stock as it is a gamechanger 🙂 Cheers.
Sarah
I love chipotles but I finally quit using them because they’re too hot. I may try again. I think they got hotter after keeping them a long time.
But I found that using powdered chipotle can give a little heat and, more importantly, the Smokey flavor! I’m able to cook a pot of beans that taste like traditional pintos cooked with a ham hock if I just use a sprinkle or two of smoked paprika—and of course onions/garlic.
Maybe chipotle powder & smoked paprika could work for others who can’t get the full wonderfulness of chipotles in adobo. Then work up to the chipotles 😉
I think I’ll make some pickled radishes & jazz up the beans I’ve been using on my tostados this week! Go to the store & grab a bunch of cilantro. Get avocados to put in the fridge—who knew?? Great tip.
Patrick
Hi Sarah thanks much for your notes, sounds like a great meal 🙂
AmyLynn
I am in the throes of making this right now. Phoenix weather be damned (transplant from Cicero, IL). Stock is just about done and I have a question: how do you feel about azafran as a seasoning in this. I don’t use it very often but it does add a depth that’s hard to achieve. Just curious on your thoughts, and thank you for this beautiful site!
Patrick
Hi Amy thanks for your note! I have to admit that I don't use saffron that much in my cooking and I would be hesitant to use it in this dish. Cheers.