Creamy Pinto Bean Soup – It’s More Than a Snack, It’s a Meal!

Posted on February 4th, 2009 in Appetizers, Cooking Instruction, Cooking Tips, Lunch Foods, Meal Planning, Recipes by Ira Weiss

     If you do a search for a Creamy Pinto Bean Soup online you will find dozens of recipes. As we usually do, we found a recipe that sounded good and tested it out. By itself it was an excellent soup. But we wanted to make it for dinner and have it be satisfying as well as a well-rounded meal.  

     The soup is a delightful, creamy soup without any chunks as it’s pureed in the blender, a food processor, Magic Bullet or trusty hand-blender. What we did to maximize the meal-worthiness of the soup is add a topping. Just as Campbell’s Soup suggests that you can top their Tomato Soup with anything you want, you can do the same with this Creamy Pinto Bean Soup.

First we’ll start with the Soup:

2 cups sodium-free vegetable broth or bean stock (Use Beef Stock for a heartier taste to go with the topping)
1 cup water
2/3 cup chopped onion
3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, chopped (size depending on how hot you like it), or a pinch of Cayenne.
3 cups cooked pinto beans (You can use 2 cans of pinto beans, drained)
1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped or use canned tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 

 

1.  Pour stock in pot. On Medium heat, soften the onions, garlic and pepper in stock and water for 5-10 minutes. Prepare other ingredients.

2.  Add remaining ingredients except salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, mostly covered, 10-15 minutes.

3.  In 2 batches, puree the soup in a food processor until creamy. Add salt to taste, if desired.

4.  Return to pot and keep over low heat until ready to serve.

Now for the topping:

1/2 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 cup Diced Green and Red Peppers
1/2 cup Scallions, Diced or Onions
1/2 cup Canned Corn
1/2 cup Zucchini Squash or Fresh Tomatoes Diced
1/2 package of Taco Seasoning or make your own – or use Penzey’s Rojo Taco Seasoning (Our Favorite) 
 (If you prefer to use the whole package of taco seasoning just double the recipe and have leftovers!)

1.  Prepare the Beef according to seasoning packet.
2.  Add remaining ingredients and cook until the vegetables are the desired softness.

     Optional Ingredients: Sour Cream, Guacamole, Lime Juice, Chopped Cilantro Leaves, Cotija Cheese (Mexican Cheese like Romano) or Shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar.

     Serve the soup in large shallow serving soup bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup or desired amount of topping in the middle of the soup. It will sink so pile it up. Top this with Sour Cream or Guacamole and a sprinkle of Cilantro. Then squeeze lime juice in the soup around the topping followed by a sprinkling of cheese. Serve with Nacho Chips or some Crusty Bread. Fantastic!!!

 

     Prep and cook time 30 minutes for soup/45 minutes overall. Serves 4-6.