In this hearty pinto bean soup the beans break and melt into a rich tomato broth that’s full of herbs and smoky flavour. It's so delicious and creamy that all you want is crusty bread to dunk in!Recipe yields 4 servings (1 cup each).
1 ½ cup(360 ml)low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more if you wish
2Tbsptomato paste
1bay leaf
½tspfine salt, plus more to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
To serve
extra virgin olive oil
fresh parsley or cilantro
Instructions
Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the diced carrot, onion, celery, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is turning translucent (5 minutes).
Add the garlic, the spices and the herbs. Stir to enhance all the flavors for about 1 minute.
Add the beans, the broth, the tomato paste and the the bay leaf. Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Turn the heat off and let it cool slightly. Then transfer approximately 1 cup of the soup to a stand blender and whizz until smooth. Be careful because it's still hot. Return the blended soup to the pot, toss to combine it well with the rest of the soup. This step is optional, but if you blend one portion of the soup it gives you a creamier texture.
Taste to adjust the seasoning to your liking. (I find that ½ tsp of fine salt and ⅛ tsp of black pepper is fine for my low-sodium broth, but make sure to adjust it to your taste). Make sure you're happy with consistency, add a touch of broth of water if you prefer a thinner soup or reduce it if you prefer a pinto bean stew.
Divide into 4 bowls and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley or cilantro. Delicious, with crusty bread, corn bread, focaccia or tortilla chips. Enjoy.
Notes
Dried beans: use about 1 ¼cup to make 2 cans (14oz each). Make sure you soak them overnight (about 8 hours) in cold water, then cook them until they are tender but firm. When the beans are cooked and drained, you can proceed as per recipe.
Salt: if you use regular vegetable broth or chicken broth rather than low-sodium broth, it’s important to adjust the seasoning at the end and not at the beginning, as you don’t know how salty the broth is.
Storage: this pinto bean soup will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a touch of water until it’s thinned to the desired consistency, then gently warm over medium-low heat or in your microwave. It keeps well in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month
Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.