Best Mexican Ham And Bean Soup Recipes

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup image

Provided by Leslie in Texas

Categories Beans

Time 4h30m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 lb pinto beans
8 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed smoked ham steaks
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, diced (freeze remaining chilies and use in chili or whatever)
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese or 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Steps:

Sort and wash beans; place in large heavy pot.
Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to boil.
Cook 2 minutes; remove from heat.
Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
Drain.
Or you may cover the beans with the same amount of water and let stand overnight.
Drain and proceed as follows.
Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (broth through garlic) in the large heavy pan and bring to a boil.
Partially cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
Simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
Stir in tomatoes, diced chilies,and liquid smoke, if desired.
Simmer 1 hour.
Discard bay leaves and serve.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 159.6, Fat 3.4, SaturatedFat 1.5, Cholesterol 6.3, Sodium 993.5, Carbohydrate 24.6, Fiber 7.6, Sugar 5.1, Protein 9.8

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup image

Provided by Gingernut

Categories Ham

Time 3h20m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 lb dried pinto beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans
8 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed smoked ham (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder, blend (not straight chili!)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 whole dried ancho chiles or 1 whole pasilla chile
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used white cheddar, but Monterey Jack was the original suggestion)
finely chopped cilantro (optional)
lime juice (optional)

Steps:

To "quick soak" beans: Rinse and pick over beans and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water to 2 inches above beans and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for at least an hour. Alternatively, you can soak your beans overnight, or use rinsed, canned beans.
"Refresh" the dried chile by placing in very hot water for 15 - 30 minutes. Discard seeds and chop finely.
Drain beans and put them in a large soup pot with broth, onion, water, ham, and herbs and spices. Bring to a boil, cover lightly, and reduce heat to medium-low.
If you are using dried beans: Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Then, stir in tomatoes (including juice if you wish) and "refreshed" chile; simmer an additional 30 minutes.
If you are using canned (or pre-cooked) beans: you can add the tomato and chile with the other ingredients. Cook for a total of 30 minutes or as long as you wish to develop flavours fully.
Discard bay leaves.
Serve in bowls garnished with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
This freezes well, just freeze (without lime or cilantro) in 1 or 2 serving portions. Thaw in the fridge or microwave straight from frozen. A squeeze of lime after reheating really "freshens" this up after freezing.