Best Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup Recipes

Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup (Pc) image

Provided by Blue Karma

Categories Beans

Time 20m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 cup vegetable broth (good when made with broth from potato peels, onion skins and garlic!)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 large onions, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed, sorted, and soaked overnight
2 teaspoons oregano (mexican oregano, if you can find it)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 chipotle chiles (if dried, stem and mince. If canned, smash and add a bit of the adobo sauce)
4 cups water
2 cups corn kernels
3 ounces tomato paste
1 lime, juice of
salt and pepper
diced tomato
diced avocado
minced cilantro
chopped green onion

Steps:

Place 1 cup of vegetable broth in 4 quart (or larger pressure cooker). Bring to a full simmer.
Add garlic to broth, simmer 1 minute.
Add chopped onions and diced red bell pepper to garlic broth mix. Simmer 2 minutes.
Drain and rinse pinto beans from overnight soak. Add to the mixture in the pressure cooker.
Add oregano, cumin, chipotle peppers, corn and water to the pressure cooker.
Bring to a full boil. Seal cooker with lid and bring to high pressure.
Cook beans at high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally (or you may use speed release if your pressure cooker supports this).
Put tomato paste in blender. Add 1 cup of the bean mixture to the blender and puree.
Return the pureed mixture to the cooker and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with diced tomatoes, cilantro and avocado and green onions.

Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup image

Yield Makes about 10 cups

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound dried pinto beans, picked over
3 medium onions, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 cups water
1/2 pound cured chorizo (Spanish sausage)*, sliced 1/4 inch thick, if desired
a 28- to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and puréed coarse
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup canned mild enchilada sauce (not salsa), or to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
*available at Hispanic markets and some specialty foods shops and supermarkets

Steps:

In a bowl soak beans in water to cover by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak (procedure follows) and drain.
In a heavy kettle sauté onions and garlic in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add bell peppers and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add drained beans and the 6 cups water and simmer, covered partially, until tender, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
While soup is simmering, in a skillet brown chorizo, in batches if necessary, over moderately high heat and transfer to paper towels to drain. Add chorizo to soup with tomatoes, broth, enchilada sauce, and salt to taste and simmer, covered partially and stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Soup may be made 4 days ahead (cool uncovered before chilling covered).
Just before serving, stir in lime juice and coriander.
To quick-soak dried beans:
In a large saucepan combine dried beans, picked over and rinsed, with triple their volume of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook beans, uncovered, over moderate heat 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let beans soak 1 hour.