Refried bean soup made with chorizo and chipotles in adobo sauce is a family pleaser. Economical and hearty, and on the table in 30 minutes, this easy soup is a winner!
A skeptic no more-this refried bean soup is worth it. With a can always waiting for me in the pantry and no dinner on the horizon, I decided it was finally time to make refried bean soup.
Marrying a a Texan required me to learn what pintos and refried beans were.
To be honest I got used to pintos, but refried beans have never won me over.
Finally a friend, who grew up not far from Manservant, clued me in on the secrets to refried beans and from them on I was a convert.
Table of contents
I Love This Quick Bean Soup
This is one quick dinner and even though Manservant kept calling it chili I didn't care.
Flavored similar to chili, I can understand why he might think that, but this refried bean soup doesn't even have tomatoes in it.
OK. I admit it. Add ¼ cup of chipotle salsa. You will love the smoky flavor of chipotles.
Yes, chipotles in adobo sauce are required for this recipe.
Besides being economical to make, this simple soup is tasty and easy to reheat for lunch.
And let's repeat again. This is an amazing quick dinner!
Common questions
A chipotle is a dried, smoked jalapeno.
Chipotles are often packed in adobo sauce. This rich, savory sauce is made with chilies, garlic, vinegar and other spices. It helps keep the chipotles plump while being stored.
I keep them a very long time. Upon opening a can I transfer them to a glass container with a tight lid and store them in the fridge. This way I can use a chipotle if needed or a spoonful of the adobo sauce or both if I need them!
I make my own mayonnaise spread by combining a chipotle with some adobo sauce. Great on a sandwich. I love adding a spoonful to salsa. You'd be amazed at how good Pace salsa tastes after adding a chopped chipotle and a spoonful of adobo. I also have a recipe for guacamole that uses chipotle and I even have a chipotle sauce for chicken. This is one condiment I can't live without!
Things to Know
Refried bean soup is made with refried beans. But could it be made with black beans?
I see this as a superb possibility. And I see an immersion blender blending the black beans to a smoother consistency.
My recipe calls for chorizo. Ground pork works just fine, but you may want to add more seasoning in this case.
Chorizo Bean Soup Ingredients
Olive Oil or Bacon grease
A finely chopped medium onion
Three big garlic cloves, sliced
½ lb fresh ground chorizo - store bought or mine
Ground cumin and coriander, dried oregano and salt
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce - I've used Embasa, La Costena and Goya
Can of refried beans - I used Old El Paso refried beans
Chicken Broth
Garnishes such as sliced radishes, minced scallions, sour cream, cotija crumbled cheese or feta, lime wedges and tortilla chips
Making Easy Bean Soup
Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat.
Add finely chopped onion and thin sliced or minced garlic cloves and saute until softened.
Add chorizo, salt and seasonings. Don't be afraid to up the ante with the seasonings! Cook and break meat into small pieces while incorporating the spices.
Pro-tip - I use a pastry blender to break up the meat.
Mix in 3 finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, 3 T of chipotle sauce and 3 T of chipotle salsa and cook until chorizo is mostly cooked through-about 2 minutes.
(At this point if you want to add 4 oz of cream cheese and the refried beans you basically have bean dip!)
Add can of refried beans and 4 cups of chicken broth. Stir, mashing beans to incorporate into broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until broth is slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
Ladle refried bean soup into bowls and serve with your choice of garnishes.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this with hot steamed tortillas. And honey. And butter.
Yummy! And a simple cabbage salad or this hearts of palm salad with mandarin oranges and avocados is good, too.
Or maybe some crispy taquitos.
Manservant loves the crunch of tortilla chips and they taste great crumbled into the soup.
Which means maybe some guacamole on the side and perhaps more salsa.
Whatever you do, refried bean soup comes together fast.
And that's a great thing in my book!
I'd love to hear if you make this recipe!
Please share a review or rate the recipe,
and be sure to tag me on social!
Recipe
Yummy Refried Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course/Soup
- Cuisine: Mexican/American
Description
Refried bean soup made with chorizo and chipotles in adobo sauce is a family pleaser. Economical and hearty, and on the table in 30 minutes, this easy soup is a winner!
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or finely sliced
½ lb to 1 lb chorizo (I like Boulder sausage or my own!)
1 t Diamond Kosher salt or ½ t Morton
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
½ t ground coriander
3 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped plus 3 T adobo sauce
3 T chipotle salsa
1 16 oz can refried beans
4 c chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillion)
Garnishes: Cotija cheese crumbled, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro, scallions, tortilla chips, lime wedges
Instructions
Heat 2 T olive oil in a medium pot on medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add chorizo, 1 t salt and other seasonings. Cook, breaking up chorizo into small pieces and until spices are well incorporated.
Add minced chipotles and adobo sauce, and salsa and continue cooking until the chorizo is mostly cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Stir in beans and chicken broth, mashing or whisking to incorporate beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until broth is slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve with garnishes. Don't forget a little squirt of lime!
Notes
Thanks Bon Appetit for the inspiration!
Recipes with Refried Beans
Denver's Famous Mexican Burger
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man! says
That refried bean soup looks great and it's so off the beaten path! It seems like such a comforting and easy meal to prepare, especially on a chilly day.