Ingredients
Three cups pinto beans
4 Quarts water
4 slices of bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp Rosemary powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt (to taste, usually about 2 tablespoons)
Directions
Clean and wash beans. Cover with water and soak overnight. Drain, put beans in pot, add water and bring to boil, adding bacon, garlic and all other ingredients except salt. When boiling point is reached, reduce heat and simmer 1½ hours, adding water as needed. Add salt and simmer another ½ hour. Taste, and add salt or Cayenne pepper to taste.
Serve hot with Mexican salsa and sour cream, garnish with chopped onions or cilantro and serve with hot tortillas or corn bread or even sourdough bread on the side. This hearty bean soup is called frijoles de la olla, or beans from the pot.
This basic recipe can be modified in a number of ways. You can substitute black beans or Peruano beans for the pintos. The black beans are flavorful and are a very pleasant change of pace. The Peruano beans are lighter and buttery and a delightful taste treat.
I often add a chopped onion and some Hatch chile peppers to the basic recipe. For those who want to make their frijoles muy caliente, there are always jalapeño or habañero peppers. In addition, you can transform the basic bean soup recipe to a “chili bean” recipe by adding ground beef, or better yet, chorizo to the mix.
The basic recipe and any of the variations can be refried and served as a side dish to most Mexican food dishes.
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