Pinto Bean Soup (Sopa Tarasca)

Spice up your weeknight dinners with this Mexican Pinto Bean Soup (known as Sopa Tarasca). Creamy pinto beans, spicy chipotle, and a hearty tomato broth are some of the main ingredients that make this vegan soup so delicious.

Plus, this easy one pot spicy bean soup takes only thirty minutes to make from scratch. It's a perfect soup for busy evenings or a quick lunch. It stores well and is freezer-friendly too - making it great for meal prep.

Why You'll Love This Spicy Pinto Bean Soup

• Loaded with flavor. This Mexican bean soup is rich, spicy, and smoky. It's made with a simple combination of ingredients that pack on the flavor. You can also tailor it to your preferences by adding (or omitting) chipotles for a spicy kick when you're craving a little bit of heat.
• Quick and easy. Ready in under 30 minutes, this vegan pinto bean soup is perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
• Serve as a side or as an entree. This versatile sopa tarasca is a filling meal on its own, can be loaded with toppings, or can be served as a side or the soup course with other dishes in a larger meal.
• It's great meal prep for vegetarians. This spicy bean soup is a great vegetarian/vegan dish for lunches or dinners. Plus, it stores well and freezes well, so you can make a big batch to enjoy throughout the week or for months to come.
• It's freezer-friendly. Whether you're trying to build a freezer stockpile for low-maintenance dinners or trying to make leftovers last longer, this soup can easily be frozen for a convenient future meal.

Ingredient Notes

To make this spicy Sopa Tarasca, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• vegetable oil - we used avocado oil because it is nutritious, has a high smoke point, and a neutral flavor that's great for sautéing, but you can use olive oil or coconut oil in its place.
• onion
• garlic - freshly chopped garlic will always yield a more vibrant flavor, but if you're pressed for time, pre-minced garlic will work just fine. Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of minced garlic per clove.
• chipotles in adobo - these are optional but they add a rich and smoky flavor and more dimension to the soup, as well as a spicy kick! You can find chipotle in abodo in the foreign foods section of your local grocery store, in specialty Mexican food shops, or online.
• fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• cumin - cumin is one of the main ingredients in taco seasoning and many curry spice blends, so if you're out of cumin or want to add a touch more spice, you can try replacing it with either of these spice blends for a similar flavor.
• pinto beans - pinto beans have a mild nutty flavor that makes them a perfect compliment to all the other complex flavors in this soup, but you can swap these out for your favorite kind of beans (or whatever you have on hand). Black beans and chickpeas would both work similarly.
• broth - use vegetable broth to keep the recipe vegan, or substitute with chicken broth. You can use store-bought broth in this recipe or homemade broth - whichever works best for you.
• salt and pepper

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large pot (I used a 4 quart Dutch oven), and a blender or food processor.

How to Make the Best Pinto Bean Soup (Sopa Tarasca)

1. Combine ingredients. Heat oil in a 4 quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1-2 minutes. Add onion and garlic sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chipotles, diced tomatoes, and cumin and cook until the mixture starts to boil, about 5 minutes.

2. Puree. Transfer the tomato mixture into a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Return the mixture to the pot.
3. Puree beans. In the same blender, add the drained pinto beans and vegetable broth and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

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4. Combine. Slowly add bean mixture to tomato mixture in the pot and stir well until evenly combined.
5. Simmer. Bring it to a simmer under low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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How to Serve

Serve Sopa Tarasca warm with our favorite toppings. We topped ours with tortilla strips and cojita cheese. You can also try topping your soup with a dollop of sour cream, a pinch of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, crushed crackers, hot sauce, or sliced jalapenos.

You can serve this spicy bean soup is delicious served on its own, or paired with quesadillas. Quesadillas are to pinto bean soup as grilled cheese is to tomato soup - the perfect companion and a great vehicle for dipping! Make plain cheese quesadillas or Vegetarian Quesadillas to stick with the vegetarian theme or try Chicken Quesadillas or steak quesadillas instead.

You can also pair this spicy pinto bean soup with other classic Mexican dishes including:

• Carne Asada
• Chicken Tacos
• Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Cauliflower Tacos
• Mexican Street Corn Salad

More Vegetarian Soup Recipes

• 40 Best Vegetarian Soup Recipes
• Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
• Borscht (Beet Soup)
• Minestrone Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup

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