Hearty and sustaining but low in fat, this vibrant spiced pinto bean soup recipe is full of flavour and colour, with plenty of protein. Naturally vegan.
Pinto bean soup
Pinto beans are an American and Mexican favourite, and this vibrant soup comes with a nod to Mexican flavours.
See also
- Mexican rice and beans makes a delicious accompaniment to all sorts of spicy dishes
- If you love these Mexican style flavours, try my pulled chicken and black bean chilli
- Looking for soup? Carrot and parsnip soup is delicious, easy and frugal.
Full of colourful vegetables and spiced up with a touch of sweet paprika, cumin and chilli, this easy, thrifty recipe produces a cheerfully invigorating soup that makes a satisfying lunch or a light dinner.
Like most soups, the recipe is extremely adaptable and you can vary the vegetables, throwing in whatever you have. Ramp up the spices if you like it hotter and, if you like your meat, add some sausage or ham to make it more substantial.
I have part blended this soup to give it plenty of body and a creaminess from the beans, but held some of the vegetables and beans back to add texture in every mouthful.
I love a good garnish and this soup is ripe for different toppings. Add your favourites for a bright and brilliant fiesta of a soup.
What are pinto beans?
We have less of a tradition of using these common beans in the UK but they are easy to find among the canned beans at the supermarket.
A close relative of the haricot and the kidney bean, they are mild in flavour and rather creamy in texture with pale pinkish skins which can be flecked red or brown. In this recipe, the pinto beans give the soup a lovely smoothness.
Like other tinned beans, they are a practical store cupboard standby and an economical way to get plenty of protein into your meals.
Why make pinto bean soup
- a lively spiced soup that dances on the tongue
- thrifty recipe that’s great for using up fridge bottom veg
- a nourishing sunshine meal in a bowl
Pinto bean soup ingredients
- Pinto beans – canned and ready to use
- Canned tomatoes – Find a brand you like. I have found some of the cheaper ones to have a nasty metallic tang, so it can be false economy to buy cheap. You don’t need premium tomatoes either.
- Tomato puree/paste
- Chilli sauce – I have used sriracha but use your favourite to cater for your taste and heat preferences.
- Bell peppers – I like a mix of colours for visual appeal
- Onions, carrots and celery – this is the classic soffritto/mirepoix mix that is the base of so many recipes. You can buy it frozen in the supermarket if you are feeling lazy.
- Spices – paprika and cumin, or replace all the spices with homemade taco seasoning.
- Dried oregano
- Garlic
- Olive oil (not shown)
- Stock (not shown) – vegetable or chicken stock cube or pot made up with 300 ml water.
- Coriander/cilantro leaf and sour cream (not shown, optional) – to garnish
How to make pinto bean soup – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this pinto bean soup recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Start by preparing the vegetables. As this is a chunky soup that isn’t fully blended, you need to cut fairly evenly so the vegetables are all about the same size as a pinto bean.
- Celery – trim and cut lengthwise, once or twice and into small pieces
- Carrots – top and tail, peel, cut lengthwise and dice
- Onion – top, tail, peel, and dice
- Peppers – halve, discard seeds and membranes, then dice
- Garlic – peel and chop
- Pinto beans – drain and rinse
Step Two – Add the olive oil to a heavy, lidded pot. Fry the onion, carrot, celery and peppers for five minutes until fragrant, with the onion turning translucent. Stir constantly as you cook.
Step Three – Add the garlic and spices to the pot and continue to cook for a minute or two longer to release the fragrance and soften the garlic.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
Garlic cooks more quickly than onions and is normally cut into smaller pieces. Add it later in cooking to avoid burning your garlic. Burned garlic tastes awful and will spoil the dish.
Step Four – Add the drained and rinsed beans, tomatoes, tomato puree and chilli sauce. Half fill the tomato can with water and swirl, before adding this too, along with the stock. Add a little more liquid if needed so everything is just covered.
Step Five – Bring to a simmer, turn right down and put the lid on. After 20 minutes, the vegetables will be soft and the broth full of flavour.
Step Six – Use a slotted spoon to scoop out some of the veggies and beans, and set aside. (If you want a smooth pureed soup, you can skip this stage, but I think this soup is better with some texture.)
You can now take the pot off the heat and blend the soup. I find a stick blender by far the most efficient and fuss-free way to do this. When you are happy with the consistency of the soup, add the vegetables and beans back to the pot.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
I nearly always use a stick blender to blend my soup. They are inexpensive, easy to clean and last for years.
You can use a jug blender or food processor if you prefer, but it’s a lot more trouble and you must take extra care when blending hot liquids.Make sure that the central bung is loose so that the steam can escape. Cover it with a folded tea towel to catch any liquid. Then blend in short pulses, allowing steam to escape between each pulse to avoid blowing the lid off.
Check and adjust the seasoning to taste. Then serve and enjoy!
Serving suggestion
This pinto bean soup recipe serves 4–6 and makes a nourishing meal served with some bread or cornbread.
I like my soup garnished. Serve with a swirl of sour cream or yoghurt with chopped pickled jalapenos, coriander (cilantro) leaf, and red pepper flake.
Variations
- In season, use 400 g of ripe fresh tomatoes instead of the canned tomatoes.
- Substitute different beans. Haricot beans, butter beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans.
- Add some sliced sausage, cooked ham or even nduja.
- Go wild with the toppings! Almost anything that would go on chilli goes here, so try grated cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, nacho chips, salsa… whatever you want.
- Vary the seasoning. Try using a little taco seasoning, fajita seasoning or even my Spanish seasoning will work.
Storage
Fridge – Cool, cover and store for up to three days.
Freezer – Once cold, the soup can be packed into sealable containers and stored for three months.
Reheat in the microwave in a Pyrex jug for easy lifting and pouring, or in a pan on the stove. Read more about how to freeze soup for extra hints and tips.
Hints and tips
- Try to cut the vegetables (apart from the garlic) into pieces of about the same size as a pinto bean for best results.
FAQs
No, but they are closely related and are used in much the same way. Sometimes called cranberry beans in the US, borlotti beans make a good substitute for pinto beans.
Yes. This pinto bean soup is naturally vegan/vegetarian friendly and dairy free. I like to swirl a little sour cream on top but this is optional, and you can use a dairy free substitute if you like.
Borlotti beans and cannellini beans both make good substitutes, with a creaminess that thickens the soup nicely. Because cannellini beans break down a bit more in cooking than pinto beans, you may find that you have fewer whole beans at the end.
More inspiring soup recipes
- Lentil and bacon soup – a satisfying, substantial classic
- Chicken gnocchi soup – elegant and soothing, a modern favourite
- Carrot and coriander soup – zesty and delicious
- Find more soup recipes
Pinto Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic
- 400g can pinto beans
- a glug olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 stock cube, vegetable or chicken (made up with 300 ml water)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- Trim, peel and chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces. Chope the garlic finely. Rinse and drain the beans.2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bell peppers, 400g can pinto beans
- Add the olive oil to a heavy, lidded pot. Fry the onion, carrot, celery and peppers for five minutes, stirring as you cook.a glug olive oil
- Add the garlic and spices to the pot and continue to cook for a minute or two longer.1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano
- Add the drained and rinsed beans, tomatoes, tomato puree and chilli sauce. Half fill the tomato can with water and swirl, before adding this too, along with the stock. Add a little more liquid if needed so everything is just covered.400g can chopped tomatoes, 1 stock cube, vegetable or chicken, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- Bring to a simmer, turn right down and put the lid on. After 20 minutes, the vegetables will be soft and the broth full of flavour.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop out some of the vegetables and beans, and set aside.
- Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup.When you are happy with the consistency of the soup, add the vegetables and beans back to the pot.
- Check and adjust the seasoning to taste, and serve.black pepper and salt to taste
Notes
Video
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