No Oil One-Pot Mexican Soup Recipe
Who needs tortilla soup when you can have this one-pot Mexican soup using leftover brown rice, black beans, and pinto beans? It is so wonderfully satisfying with hearty beans, tangy tomatoes, and classic Mexican flavors like cumin. The next time you are craving Mexican food, try this filling and healthy Mexican soup that you can enjoy as a lunch or dinner.
What is One-pot Mexican Soup?
This one-pot Mexican soup is inspired by Mexican flavors like corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, beans, jalapeno, and cumin. All of the ingredients get combined with vegetable broth into a soup that is hearty enough to make up an entire meal. However, this soup is also wonderful with side dishes like Spicy Guacamole with Corn or Mango Jicama Salad to go with the Mexican theme.
This Mexican soup recipe originated when I was craving Mexican food one afternoon and didn’t have enough time to go to my favorite spot to get it. Pleasantly, I had some leftover brown rice in the fridge, plus some black and pinto beans from a salad the day before. I added those to a standard soup base of fragrant onions and bright red tomatoes, as well as some cumin, garlic, and fresh lime. Together, all these ingredients made a robust, delicious, gluten-free, vegetarian soup that was so healthy, flavorful, and extremely satisfying.
Ingredients
This one-pot Mexican soup includes a mixture of ingredients that are so nutritious, colorful, and flavorful. Here is what you will need to make this wonderfully hearty Mexican soup recipe:
- vegetable broth – low sodium
- medium white onion
- beans – such as cooked black beans and pinto beans
- canned diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- garlic
- bell pepper
- brown rice – cooked
- jalapenos
- organic corn – frozen
- cumin powder
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
This one-pot Mexican soup recipe is heartwarming making it perfect for the cooler weather, and there are a couple of ways (stovetop and Instant Pot) you can make it. Here is how you can prepare this hearty soup at home:
Stovetop Method
- Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a large pot.
- Add the onions, cooked beans, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, brown rice, corn, and tomato sauce.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Season the soup with the cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve immediately!
Instant Pot Method
- Add all of the ingredients to an Instant Pot.
- Close the lid on the pot and turn the valve from “Venting” to “Sealing” position, then press “Cancel.”
- Set the pot to “Manual/Pressure Cook” (high pressure) and set the timer to 2 minutes.
- Do a quick release and once the pressure is released, open the lid and stir well.
- Serve immediately!
Variations
While this Mexican soup includes some key ingredients, it is also a wonderful soup that you can play with and make all your own. Here are some ideas for how you can modify the soup:
- Add Flavorful Garnishes: If you would like to make your Mexican soup a little more special, feel free to top it with an array of attractive garnishes that add both texture and flavor. Cilantro, tortilla chips, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced pickled jalapenos, or salsa are all excellent additions to this robust soup.
- Give it a Smokier Flavor: If you enjoy the taste of chipotle, feel free to add some chopped canned chipotle into the soup as it simmers. You can also add some of the sauce from the can to amplify the chipotle taste even more.
- Add Extra Vegetables: While this Mexican soup is loaded with plenty of vegetables, you may decide you would like to add more, particularly if you have some ingredients to use up. Kale, Swiss chard, or spinach are all excellent additions to wilt into the soup if you have an abundance from your garden. This soup would also be great with leftover mixed vegetables like carrots, peas, and corn.
How to Store One-Pot Mexican Soup
This one-pot Mexican soup makes a large pot so it is likely you will have some leftovers after dinner. Alternatively, you may decide you would like to make a large pot of it to keep for lunch through the week. To store it, you can place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or place it in the freezer for up to 5 to 6 months.
One-Pot Mexican Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth, (low sodium)
- 1 medium white onion, (diced)
- 3 cups beans, (cooked-black beans and pinto beans)
- 1 cup diced tomatoes, (canned)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 1 bell pepper, (diced)
- 2 cups brown rice, (cooked)
- 2 (1) Jalapeno seeded and (1) diced
- 1 cup organic corn, (frozen)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 juice of lemon
- Salt and pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
Cooking Directions Stove Top Method
- Bring vegetable broth to simmer in a large pot.
- Add onions, cooked beans, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos,[3] brown rice, corn, and tomato sauce, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. (For beans, I like using 2 cups of black beans and 1 cup of pinto beans.)
- Season with cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Serve with a side of this fresh and flavorful Mango Jicama Salad and Spicy Guacamole with Corn for the perfect at-home Mexican fiesta!
- Serve immediately.
Instant Pot Method
- In an Instant Pot, add all ingredients.
- Close the lid on the pot and turn the valve from “Venting” to “Sealing” position, then press “Cancel”.
- Set the pot to “Manual/Pressure Cook” (high pressure) and set the timer to 2 minutes.
- Do a quick release and once the pressure is released, open the lid and stir well.
- Serve with a side of this fresh and flavorful Mango Jicama Salad and Spicy Guacamole with Corn for the perfect at-home Mexican fiesta!
- Serve immediately.
BON APPÉTIT!
Pro Tips
- You can store your leftover One Pot Mexican Soup in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
- You can keep in the freezer in a Ziploc or airtight container for 5-6 months.
- When reheating, add to a pan on medium-low heat until heated all the way through.
- Serve with Spicy Guacamole with Corn and chips.
- Serve with a side of fresh Mango Jicama Salad.
- Don’t have black beans or pinto beans on hand, no problem, try garbanzo beans or cannellini beans.
Leave a comment below and let me know how you served this!
Equipment
- Instant Pot
FAQ
Want to show off your presentation skills? Here are some topping options that will not only add flavor but will also make your family feel like they are in a fancy restaurant: Sliced jalapenos, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and more.
Have you heard of the saying ‘made with love?’ I believe that Mexican cuisine definitely falls into that category. It is safe to say that these dishes and flavors are some of the most popular and loved all over. It combines fresh, natural ingredients and the use of a wide array of aromatics to add tons of flavor. When you eat it, you taste an explosion of flavor in your mouth that makes you think that it had a long cooking time; which it might have, but it doesn’t have to be to taste good! The vibrant colors, natural ingredients, and intensifying flavors are some of the things I love about Mexican cuisine. Some popular ingredients in Mexican cooking include rice, avocados, beans, cactus, and chili peppers just to name a few.
Most cultures have some sort of traditional soup that has been passed on from generation to generation. But let’s be honest, many of them can be extraordinarily heavy, calorie-dense, and very unhealthy because they are cream or milk-based with a lot of processed ingredients. For a healthy Mexican soup, this version combines whole ingredients like fiber-rich beans, tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and brown rice. There is nothing to feel guilty about with this soup as everything is nutrient-rich and fresh.
In this day and age, we are always trying to find ways of cutting calories while enjoying our favorite dishes. If this is you, there are a few ways you can do this.
Avoid the cheese and sour cream toppings that are full of fat. Try sliced avocados instead which will add the creaminess you crave.
✔ To get the salty crunch of the traditional fried tortilla chips, try baking corn tortillas in the oven or use store-bought blue corn chips instead.
✔ Typically, Mexican tortilla soup is made with meat, but instead, cut the calories and fat by loading up on the beans like pinto and black beans. Beans are a great source of protein and will give you the satisfying feeling your tummy is craving and you won’t miss the meat at all.
✔ If you feel adventurous, throw in some roasted corn as well for a sweet flavor without worrying about calories. Consider taking the extra step to roast the corn will also add a dynamic smoky flavor your taste buds will appreciate.
While most people are familiar with Mexican tortilla soup, there are actually several different types of Mexican soups. Some of these include sopa de fideo, which is a tomatoey noodle soup, while others are pozole, a stew-like soup with chicken or pork, cabbage, chilis, salsas, and more.
When reheating, add the soup to a pot over medium-low heat, and reheat, while stirring occasionally, until it is heated all the way through.
Related
If you are looking for other Mexican-inspired dishes, consider trying these recipes:
