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This Pinto Bean Soup is both hearty and easy. Packed full with pinto beans and flavored with tomatillo salsa and just a hint of serrano chili. Serve with a variety of toppings and a side of crusty bread for the complete family meal.
When the weather is cold there is nothing better than a bowl of hearty soup. Soup is my favorite comfort food in the winter months. In my house we often have this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup and this Vegetable Soup with Cabbage. When I am craving a more Southwestern flavored soup I make today’s Pinto Bean Soup. It is perfect for those busy weeknights and is a great source of protein. It also makes a great freezer meal.
I also love the leftovers and think the soup tastes even better the next day. Pinto Bean Soup is both vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. My mexican-inspired pinto bean soup features the flavors of Mexico, with just a little heat.
What I love best about this soup is the flavors that the salsa verde brings to the soup. You might remember this Green Chicken Chili Soup that uses salsa verde too. I don’t know about you but it is one of my favorite salsas. If you like chili you also might like this Sweet Potato Chili, Lentil Bean Chili, Easy Pork Chili or this Beef Chili Recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
You will love this easy recipe and the simple ingredients it uses. It is one of my favorite recipes!
- Beans: I have used pinto beans, but this is a really versatile recipe and you can use any variety of canned bean in this soup. If you have dry pinto beans that works too. Make sure to soak them first. Black beans, kidney beans, white beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans and navy beans would also work in this soup. The beans make this a very hearty pinto bean soup.
- Salsa: I use one cup of tomatillo salsa, or salsa verde, in this soup as it is packed full of flavor. If you would like to try making your own then here is my recipe for Easy Homemade Salsa Verde or my Avocado Tomatillo Salsa that would be great to add to this soup.
- Spices: Spices really do take any food to the next level. Ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper and chili powder (ancho, paprika, cayenne pepper all work) all add flavor to the soup.
- Hominy: Hominy is a food produced from dried maize (corn) kernels. I love the texture that hominy adds to soups.
- Lime: The juice of a lime adds a final burst of zesty freshness to the soup just before serving. If you don’t have lime a squeeze of lemon juice would work too.
How to Make this Pinto Bean Soup
Step 1: Sauté Vegetables: Start by heating the olive oil in a large dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent – you don’t want them to color.
Now add in the garlic and serrano chili and cook for 30 seconds longer until fragrant.
Step 2: Add Spices and Salsa: Add in the spices to the onion mixture and cook for another minute to bloom. Then, pour in the tomatillo salsa scraping any stuck bits up from the bottom of the pot – you don’t want to lose any of that flavor.
Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients: Pour in the broth, beans, and hominy.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Finish Soup: To finish, remove a few ladles of the broth from the pot and transfer to a blender along with the cilantro, blend until smooth then pour back into the pot and stir through.
Season the easy pinto bean soup with additional salt and the lime juice to taste.
Serve immediately with tortilla chips and top with your favorite garnishes and hot sauce.
Recipe Tip: This soup can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Simply warm up to piping hot.
Storage Tips
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- This soup freezes really well. Make a big batch of it, enjoy half now and save half for later. Portion it out so you can pull it out when you need a healthy lunch option.
- Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then put it in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat it let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight. Then when you are ready to eat it, warm it up on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through.
Recipe FAQ
If you want a creamier soup you can use an immersion blender and puree half of the soup.
This recipe uses both a fresh chili and some chili powder. You can adjust the chili heat to suit your own tastes. However, what I tend to do is keep the soup on the mild side, that way everyone can enjoy it. Then I serve some fresh chili along with the other toppings. That way those that love chili can add it fresh to their own bowl of soup.
More Soup Recipes
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Pinto Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 serrano, thinly sliced {optional for spice}
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder, ancho, cayenne, paprika all work
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 cup salsa
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 – 15- ounce pinto beans, drained but not rinsed
- 2- 15 ounce cans hominy
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 5-quart or larger Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add in the garlic and serrano, cook 30 seconds longer until fragrant.
- Add in the spices and cook for another minute to bloom.
- Then, pour in the tomatillo salsa scraping any stuck bits up from the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the broth, beans, and hominy.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove a few ladles of broth from the pot and transfer to a blender along with the cilantro, blend until smooth then pour back into the pot, stir, and season with additional salt and the lime juice to taste {the blending is optional to make a creamier soup}. Stir in the lime juice. To serve, top with any or all of the optional toppings.
Notes
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- This soup freezes really well. Make a big batch of it, enjoy half now and save half for later. Portion it out so you can pull it out when you need a healthy lunch option.
- Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then put it in an airtight container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat it let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight. Then when you are ready to eat it, warm it up on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
