Pinto Bean Soup with Mini Pico Quesadillas

Serving up the mini quesadillas with the soup

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5 from 4 votes

Pinto Bean Soup with Mini Pico Quesadillas

Crispy, cheesy quesadillas dipped in a freshly made Pinto Bean Soup? Sold!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Servings:

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

For the Pinto Bean Soup:

1 can pinto beans (15 oz. size, drained and rinsed)
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 plum tomatoes
2 cups stock
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1 chipotle in adobo
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
olive oil

For the mini quesadillas:

Pico de Gallo
1/2 cup cheese (I used Jack)
2 slices bacon (optional)
3-4 corn tortillas

Instructions

I usually start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes, then roasting them in the oven (400F). I also put 2 slices of bacon in the oven but you can consider that optional. The bacon will need around 20 minutes to fully cook. I usually just leave the tomatoes in until I need them.
Roughly chop 1/2 small onion and get it sweating in some oil over medium heat along with 2 whole, peeled garlic cloves. I used a medium-sized soup pot for this recipe. Once the onion is starting to brown we'll add: 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. I like giving these spices direct contact with the heat for a minute or so, stirring regularly. Add the remaining ingredients: 1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed), 2 cups stock, and 1 chipotle in adobo. I usually de-seed the chipotle but that is optional.
Bring this mixture up to temp and add it all to a blender along with the roasted tomatoes. Give it a whirl but be sure to use caution when blending hot liquids! Add it back to the soup pot and give a final taste for seasoning. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch, but keep in mind the exact salt level will depend on which stock you're using. I used this homemade chicken stock.
Once you're happy with the soup you can start building the mini quesadillas. I started by adding a smidge of the bacon drippings to a large skillet over medium heat and dredging the corn tortillas in it. This step will help the tortillas crisp up more readily but you can consider it optional. Each tortilla gets cheese, Pico de Gallo, and cooked bacon. Once the tortillas are warm you can fold them in half and cook each side for 1-2 minutes or until light brown spots are forming on the underside. Here's my awesome Pico de Gallo recipe.
Once the mini quesadillas are done it's chow time! I garnished the soup with Crema, cilantro, and a few drops of hot sauce. Enjoy!

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