The Mexican bean soup is a warm and comforting food, perfect for cold days when you crave a rich and flavorful soup that warms the atmosphere immediately. This version combines the typical aromas of Mexican cuisine — where beans, corn, and spices are the main characters — with some personal touches reminiscent of a delicious soup tasted years ago in a South American restaurant.
To achieve a more intense flavor, I chose red beans with a strong taste, sweet corn, and a bit of smoked bacon that enriches the broth without making it heavy. The result is a surprisingly balanced bean and corn soup, hearty but not heavy, easy and quick, especially if using canned corn and beans.
If you love Tex-Mex flavors or want to experiment with other boldly flavored dishes, you can also check out the collection of Mexican recipes, or try a classic like chili con carne or its vegetarian variant: lentil chili.
In a few steps, you can serve a simple yet characterful Mexican bean soup, perfect for a warm and satisfying dinner!
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
- Energy 435.32 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.23 (g) of which sugars 4.62 (g)
- Proteins 23.54 (g)
- Fat 23.07 (g) of which saturated 6.07 (g)of which unsaturated 9.69 (g)
- Fibers 9.47 (g)
- Sodium 1,199.34 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 375 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Mexican Red Bean and Corn Soup
If you are celiac, remember that bacon and Tabasco must be labeled “gluten-free.”
- 14 oz canned red beans
- 5 oz sweet canned corn, drained
- 1 cup peeled tomatoes (or tomato puree)
- 5 oz smoked bacon
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 dried chili pepper (spicy)
- 5 drops Tabasco (or add another half dried chili pepper)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cumin
- 1 pinch salt
- as needed vegetable broth (or meat broth)
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot with lid
How to Prepare Mexican Soup with Red Beans and Corn
To prepare the Mexican bean soup, start by cutting the bacon into cubes. Finely chop the onion (1) and peel the garlic. In a large pot, brown them together with the oil (2), then add the smoked bacon (3) and sauté for a couple of minutes.
When the bacon fat starts to become transparent, remove the garlic and add the peeled tomatoes (4), crushing them with a wooden spoon (or the tomato puree). After about 5-6 minutes, when the tomato has broken down, add the drained beans (5), along with the cumin, a pinch of cinnamon (just a tiny bit, otherwise it will be too noticeable), and a few drops of Tabasco (6).
At this point, pour in the vegetable broth or meat broth (7), add salt, and cook semi-covered over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the drained corn (8) and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the soup has thickened (9).
Depending on your taste, this bean soup can be more or less brothy: I like it quite thick, but if you want, you can add a bit more broth to make it thinner. Serve the red bean and corn soup hot.
Storage
You can store the Mexican soup in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
For a creamier soup, blend a couple of tablespoons of beans and a couple of tablespoons of corn with some broth and add them to the soup when you add the corn.
