Two Bean Tortilla Soup

The concept of necessity being the mother of invention usually comes into play at the end of each week, when our produce haul from the previous Saturday is almost diminished. But lately, we’ve been getting to the end of the week and still stocked with produce! This is my doing, since I tend to grasp at the last summer produce while picking up some new fall pieces as well.

So I took a pause, and told myself I couldn’t go to the market until we had eaten every morsel of fruit and vegetable our fridge was holding. We lasted almost a week longer than we usually would on a single haul, only proving how much excess we were enjoying in those abundant summer weeks! It was massively encouraging to do this more often.

I say this because when the shelves are stocked and the fridge is full, I make our favorite meals. When things dwindle and our go-to recipes aren’t possible, I get creative. I know this is how I work, it isn’t a surprise to me, which is why our Friday night dinners are some of the most unusual and delicious! (Although they can sometimes be very unexciting too—like slices of avocado toast, we’ve all been there.)

During the week of munching on our excess, I came to thinking of this dinner. I had a poblano pepper purchased out of excitement with no real intention a week prior, along with corn in the freezer and a slightly soft red bell pepper. I thought of tortilla soup. Not because it was something we made and enjoyed many times before (I had only actually had it once, at a friends home, two years ago!) but because I also had a lingering bag of corn tortillas in the pantry I knew needed to be used soon. So I got the beans soaking for the next day, feeling very proud of my creativity with what we had on hand.

I was humbled the next morning when I pulled out the bag of corn tortillas to find mold growing inside. Sigh. Not only did I create waste, but I had beans soaking and veggies waiting for a recipe that needed these tortillas. Scott was pretty committed to this recipe, so we road our bikes down to the market together and bought a fresh bag of tortillas. This helped perk me up a bit, I always love when we ride our bikes!

After pressure cooking the beans that evening before dinner, I was looking at the liquid in the pot. I had planned on draining the beans and replacing the liquid with veggie broth. However, this bean liquid was full of minerals from the beans and kombu seaweed and tasted perfectly delicious. Then it hit me, why waste this delicious bean broth? It is free, tasty, and nutritious. So I kept it, and it was such a good idea! The broth was delicious with the tomatoes, veggies, and spices. We topped everything with the tortillas sliced and crisped, some leftover cashew sour cream from a few nights before, and a handful of somehow-still-green-cilantro from over a week prior.

We decided this dinner deserved a spot on the list of our all-time favorite meals, we enjoyed it very much. So I remade it the following week and took some photos so you could make it too! Peppers are always the most abundant and delicious here at the end of September. I like to think they are summer’s fireworks going off for its grand finale. So before we dig into squash everything (I’m ready too) let’s squeeze in a few more peppers.

x Jessie

Step one

Combine the cooked beans with the chopped veggies and spices.

Step two

Add the bean broth (or veggie broth if using canned beans).

Step three

Add the strained or crushed tomatoes, and simmer on the stove for 30 minutes.

Step four

Prepare the corn tortilla strips and toppings.

Step five

Serve with toppings and enjoy. This soup is even better the next day.

My Notes

If you want to use canned beans (rinsed and drained) in this recipe, you absolutely can. Simply add them to the pot (5 cups worth) with everything else and use low sodium vegetable broth in the bean broth’s place. If you are instead using a basic stovetop method for cooking the beans, or an InstaPot, consult the web on timing and methods for doing these—I’m really only well versed in the stovetop pressure cooker method, but any way you enjoy cooking beans can be used!

TWO BEAN TORTILLA SOUP
Makes 5 to 6 servings.

1 cup dry pinto beans
1 cup dry black beans
1 inch piece of kombu

1/2 large red onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 poblano pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

3 cups bean broth or veggie broth, see my notes
2 cups strained, or crushed, tomatoes

toppings
a few limes
organic corn tortillas
cashew sour cream recipe below
avocado slices optional
freshly ground black pepper
fresh cilantro chopped

Begin by soaking the dry beans together in a large bowl covered with plenty of fresh water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (optional). Leave for 12 to 24 hours.
Rinse and drain the beans well, add them to a pressure cooker, and cover with an inch of fresh water.
Add the piece of kombu to the beans and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, remove any foam that gathers on the top with a wooden spoon.
Seal the lid on tight, and let it come to full pressure. Cook for 22 minutes, then remove from the stove and let the pressure release naturally.
Strain 3 cups of the bean broth from the pot of beans into a pitcher and set aside. Compost the kombu, if you can.
Leave the cooked beans in the pot (strain any additional liquid if there is leftover).
Finely chop the onion, garlic, poblano, and red bell pepper.
Add these to the pot of beans along with the corn, spices, reserved bean broth, and strained or crushed tomatoes.
Bring to a gentle simmer, and let cook for 30 minutes. Stirring often.
Taste and adjust the salt so that it tastes good to you.
While the soup is simmering, slice the tortillas into strips, then cut those strips in half to create smaller strips. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and toast in the oven until crisp and lightly browned (just keep an eye on them, usually around 20 minutes at 400F).
Chop the cilantro, blend the cashew cream (if you didn’t ahead of time), and slice a few limes.
Serve the finished soup in bowls topped with crispy tortilla strips, a drizzle of cashew sour cream, cilantro, and a few generous squeezes of lime. I recommend freshly cracked black pepper on top too. (Sliced avocado is optional but delicious!)

Cashew sour cream: 1 cup raw cashews soaked for 4 hours then drained. Blend in a blender with 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, a good pinch of salt, and a 1/2 cup of fresh water. Blend on high until silky smooth and store in a jar in the fridge. Should keep for one week.