Mexican Pinto Beans, made in the true Mexican Style, take some time but are so incredibly delicious.
Faster isn’t always better. And yes, these Mexican Pinto Beans do take awhile to make. So why, when you can just open a can of pinto beans and add the rest of the ingredients, would you do that?
Because the flavor is totally different and far richer than anything you can get out of a can.
And if you’re looking for Healthy Recipes, this one is really great with only 123 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving.
I used to make Bean with Bacon soup all the time when my daughter was growing up and she loved it. Later, she asked me for the recipe and because I never wrote anything down, I could only guess at the ingredients.
But it wasn’t until recently that I realized that good Pinto Bean Soup is really an art.
Anamia’shttps://anamias.com/ is a Mexican restaurant just outside of Dallas. They excel at all Mexican Recipes but the ones that really stand out are their Brisket Tacos, Fajitas and especially their Pinto Bean Soup.
One taste of that soup and you want to ladle that delicious broth all over everything.
I asked the chef how they made it and he was kind enough to tell me. He said the real secret begins with the vegetables and the long, low simmering time.
So, let’s make Mexican Pinto Beans.
Ingredients for Mexican Pinto Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Bacon
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Red peppers
- Poblano peppers
- Chipotle Chile Powder
- Salt
- Manischewitz Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Cilantro
How to Make Mexican Pinto Beans
The first step is to sort and rinse the beans. No matter how much you pay for your beans, never take for granted that that they are free of debris. Toss those beans that are split, or unnaturally dark. These beans will never cook tender.
Then, when sorted, add them to a bowl and cover them with water and refrigerate them overnight. Two reasons for this: Soaking helps to soften the beans and it also releases the gases that are normally in beans.
When you’re ready to start the cooking process, add diced bacon to a large pot and sauté it a minute or two to render the fat. At this point the bacon will just begin to brown.
Next, add the shallots, garlic, the red peppers and the Poblano peppers. Give it a quick stir and let the vegetables simmer together for another minute or two. Then add the Chipotle Chile Powder and salt.
Drain the beans and add them to the vegetables along with the chicken broth and enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1/2″.
By the way, this recipe uses low sodium chicken broth because I try to keep the sodium in check along with the calories and fat on all my recipes. For the absolute best chicken broth that really tastes like you made it from scratch, try Manischewitz Low Sodium Chicken Broth. Nothing compares to it. But if you can’t find Manischewitz, Swansons will work.
As the beans cook, periodically stir them and add more water as needed.
Then stir in cilantro and continue to simmer, covered, for 1 more hour.
Reserve some chopped cilantro to sprinkle over the top for serving.
So here’s your recipe, Lise. Hope it brings back good memories.
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Other recipes you may like:
Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salad
Mexican Pinto Beans
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Pinto Beans, dried
- 2 Strips Bacon
- 1 Shallot Diced
- 2 Cloves Garlic Mined finely
- 1/2 Cup Red Peppers Diced
- 1/4 Cup Poblano Pepper Thinly sliced
- 1/2 Tsp Chipotle Pepper Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth Low sodium
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro, fresh Chopped
Instructions
- Rinse beans and add to medium bowl. Add water to cover beans by about 1". Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Saute bacon in a large pot over medium high heat. Cook 1-2 minutes until bacon is rendered and beginning to brown. Then add shallots, garlic, red peppers and Poblano peppers. Cook 1-2 minutes more and add Chipotle Chile Powder and salt.
- Drain the water from the soaked beans and add them to the vegetables with the chicken broth and enough water to cover beans by 1/2". Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to low. Cover with lid and simmer for 3 hours. Periodically stir the beans and add more water as needed.
- Stir in cilantro and continue to simmer, covered, for 1 more hour. Adjust for seasonings and serve.
