This is a great soup that really can be made either exactly as written or improvised all around. No one really makes it the same, do they? When we do it we use a combination of pinto and red beans. We used about 4 cups of dry beans that we soaked and cooked and 2 cups canned beans. This seems to work well for texture and thickness but you could use 100% canned beans to speed things up.
If the soup gets too thick, as it will over the course of sitting or when served left over, you can always add a bit more water.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2/3 chopped carrots
- 3 cups red and or pinto beans, cooked
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cloved chopped garlic
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tsps. cumin powder
- 1/2 frozen corn
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 bag tortilla chips – 8 for while cooking to thicken, the rest for in the bowl serving.
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded vegan cheese, regular cheddar cheese if desired
- 2 T. tomato paste
Directions:
- Saute the onions and hot pepper flakes in the olive oil for 4 minutes to begin to tenderize them.
- Add all the other ingredients including 8 tortilla chips (for thickening) and cheese.
- Cook 5 minutes, then take 2 cups out and blend in a blender, and put back in. This will help thicken to the right texture.
- Cook under medium heat for another 15 minutes.
- Put a handful of chips, a bit broken up into serving bowls
- Ladle in the soup, and add vegan cheese/cheddar cheese on top
Maybe have a margarita, or a corona? We would!