Southwestern Pinto Bean Soup

By SapphireBlu957

Kick the flavor of the Mexican-style soup up a notch with a sprinkling of cilantro and a squirt of lime juice.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry pinto beans
• 5 cups cold water
• 2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• Shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• Snipped fresh cilantro and/or sliced green onions (optional)
• Desired crackers (optional)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. Rinse dry beans. In a Dutch oven combine rinsed beans and the 5 cups cold water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

2. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine beans, broth, the 1/2 cup water, the onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

4. Stir in undrained tomatoes; cover and cook for 30 minutes more. If desired, partially mash mixture with a potato masher, leaving soup chunky. If desired, top individual servings with cheese and cilantro and serve with crackers.