Bean and Summer Vegetable Soup

Bean and Summer Vegetable Soup

3
Points®
Total Time
50 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
This soup brings together a lot of delicious ingredients for layers of flavor and texture. All it needs is a short simmer on the stovetop, and it's ready to enjoy. Even if you leave off the avocado or the cheese, this soup will still taste fantastic.

Ingredients

Canola oil

2 tsp

Bell pepper

1 item(s), medium, red or orange, chopped

Onion

1 medium, chopped

Uncooked zucchini

1 medium, chopped

Garlic

2 clove(s), minced

Ground cumin

2 tsp

Chili powder

1 tsp

Ground coriander

½ tsp

Dried oregano

½ tsp

Tomato paste

1 tsp

Vegetable broth

3 cup(s)

Canned diced tomatoes

14½ oz

Canned pinto beans

14½ oz, or black beans, rinsed and drained

Table salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp

Cilantro

2 Tbsp, chopped

Fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp

Avocado

½ item(s)

Crumbled queso fresco cheese

1 oz

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring often, until onion softens and begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, oregano, and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, salt, and black pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
  3. Ladle soup evenly into 4 bowls; top evenly with avocado and Cotija.
  4. Serving size: (1 1/3 cups soup, 1 tablespoon cheese, and about 2 1/2 tablespoons avocado)

Notes

In Mexico, “oregano” can be many things! As Mexican cooking expert Diana Kennedy shares in her encyclopedic book, From My Mexican Kitchen, she at one time had about nine Mexican “oreganos” she had purchased in her travels and all were slightly different. Best advice: Use whatever you have on your kitchen shelf.