Sopa de frijoles blancos – Mexican white bean soup Recipe
This white bean soup is a Mexican version of our classic bean soup, but with the addition of tomatoes, cumin and lime. In Mexico it often appears as a hearty lunch on cooler days, especially in mountainous regions. It’s thick, warming and tastes great with crunchy pieces of tortilla.
This sopa de frijoles blancos shows how Mexicans can build deep flavour from simple ingredients – here smoked paprika, cumin and the acidity of lime play a key role, bringing the whole bowl to life. The soup is thick, slightly spicy, with a clear aroma of tomatoes and coriander, and the crunchy tortilla pieces replace classic bread. It’s a dish especially associated with cooler evenings in the mountainous regions of Mexico, when a bowl of this bean soup really warms you up.
Chef's tips
Cook the beans until they are tender but not falling apart – this way the soup will be thick but with distinct beans, not a mush. Make sure the onion doesn’t brown at the beginning, otherwise it will dominate the delicate spices; sauté the spices only briefly, just until they become very fragrant. If the soup seems too sour after adding the lime, balance it with a pinch of sugar or a little extra stock.
How to serve
Serve it with homemade tortilla chips or toasted corn tortillas that you can dip into the soup like a stew. It pairs well with a light lager-style beer or lime water with a pinch of salt, Mexican-style. It’s a good dish for a lazy Sunday lunch or dinner after a winter walk, when everyone is craving something truly warming.
Ingredients
- white beans dried, soaked overnight in cold water - 300 g
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- carrot cut into small cubes - 1 piece
- celery stalk cut into small cubes - 1 stalk
- canned tomatoes chopped - 400 g
- vegetable stock homemade or from a cube - 1.2 l
- ground cumin for Mexican aroma - 1 teaspoon
- sweet paprika powder for seasoning - 1 teaspoon
- fresh chili pepper seeded, finely chopped, optional - 0.5 pieces
- vegetable oil for sautéing the vegetables - 2 tablespoons
- bay leaf dried - 2 pieces
- fresh coriander chopped leaves for serving, can be replaced with parsley - 2 tablespoons
- lime cut into wedges for serving - 1 piece
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse and transfer to a large pot. Cover with fresh water so that it covers the beans by about 3 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 30–40 minutes, until the beans start to soften but are not yet completely tender. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
- In the same or another large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4–5 minutes, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent, without browning.
- Add the carrot, celery and garlic and fry for another 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften slightly.
- Add the cumin, sweet paprika and chopped chili pepper, if using. Stir for about 30 seconds, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the canned tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, cooked beans and the reserved cooking water. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the soup covered for 25–30 minutes, until the beans are completely tender and the flavour is pronounced and slightly thickened.
- Remove the bay leaves. If you want a thicker consistency, scoop out 2–3 ladles of soup (with beans and vegetables), blend until smooth and pour back into the pot, stirring.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh coriander, with lime wedges for squeezing.
Storage
The soup keeps well for 2–3 days in the fridge and tastes even better the next day as the beans absorb the spices. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened too much.
