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This Mexican-inspired pinto bean soup is creamy, hearty, nourishing, and packed with flavor! Combining pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, veggies, broth, and Mexican seasonings leads to a soup that is ridiculously more-ish. Plus, this recipe can be made in just one pot, is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian (vegan), high-protein, high-fiber, low-fat, and not to mention low-cost!
Simple & Delicious Mexican Bean Soup
When it comes to Mexican cuisine, legumes are everything for the meat-free eaters out there; chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, and – of course- pinto beans. The humble pinto bean isn’t quite as ‘popular’ globally as the others, yet appears in some of my favorite Mexican food; chili, Mexican spiced beans, burritos, over nachos, and for refried beans (frijoles refritos).
In comparison to kidney/black beans, pinto beans are softer, creamier, with a slightly earthier, nutty flavor. They’re perfect for blending up into a creamy soup or for stews. Even though I always have a whole variety of beans in my house (dried and canned), I don’t find myself reaching for the pinto beans as often as the others. So I thought I’d share this recipe that gives them a chance to shine!
This pinto bean soup blends Mexican-inspired flavors for a creamy, hearty soup option for the Fall/Winter months. Simmered for 20-25 minutes, this soup allows all the flavors to combine and the beans to soften into a deliciously buttery texture, packing tons of flavor with such a little amount of effort (in a way – similar to a meat-free cowboy soup).
This is comfort food at its best – thick, hearty, satisfying, and truly nourishing while somehow remaining healthy too. Serve this Southern pinto beans recipe as an appetizer or main and you’re sure to have lots of satisfied eaters. Plus, most of the recipe is made up of inexpensive pantry staples and veggies – for a low-cost midweek meal.
Healthy Wholesome Pinto Bean Soup
Not only is this vegan soup low-cost to make, but it’s also a healthy option for the entire family.
Beans are packed with wholesome goodness for our bodies, including being one of the richest sources of plant-based protein and fiber on the planet. They have the ability to regulate blood sugar levels, reducing cholesterol, improving heart health, and even reducing the risk of certain cancers.
Pinto beans are not only a great source of protein and fiber, but they also contain antioxidants, vitamins (especially B1 / Thiamine), and minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.
Combined with the likes of carrots, onion, tomatoes, and potatoes – this Mexican bean soup really is a healthy, wholesome, and nutrient-packed meal!
The Step-By-Step Instructions
For the full ingredients list, ingredient measurements, and nutritional information, then please read the recipe card below.
Step 1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften and starts going translucent.
Step 2. Stir in the roasted tomatoes, garlic, carrots, potato, and all the spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, then pour in the vegetable broth (I also added 2 bay leaves for flavor).
Step 3. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer, with a lid on, for between 10-15 minutes to begin softening the vegetables. Add the pinto beans, then cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the veggies are all tender- stirring occasionally.
Step 4. Once ready, turn off the heat. Now you can decide on the texture you want for the dish. If you want it as more of a pinto bean stew, then you could leave it chunky as-is. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to slightly puree some or all of the soup or even move 50% of the soup to a blender/different pot to completely puree before transferring back to the pot and stirring well.
Step 5. Finally, taste the soup and adjust any of the seasonings as required. Add a little extra veggie broth/water if it’s a little too thick, then serve immediately.
How To Serve
I like to serve this pinto bean soup garnished with fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley, and lime wedges. You can add the lime juice directly into the large pot, but I’ve found that different people like different levels.
There are several ways to serve and garnish this wholesome soup/stew:
- If you puree a part of the soup, then you can serve it over rice.
- Whether served as a stew or soup, this goes wonderfully with this gluten-free bread, bread rolls, or cornbread.
- For extra spice, you could top this soup with sliced jalapeño or some hot sauce.
- Similarly to my tortilla soup, you could serve it along with homemade tortilla chips (or store-bought options).
- Feel free to sprinkle with some dairy-free crumbled feta or other vegan cheese (like queso fresco).
- You could top it with a dollop of vegan sour cream and salsa
- Top with some fresh veggies like sliced radish, diced tomatoes, or sliced avocado.
How To Store
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It may thicken slightly while chilled, so feel free to add a little extra water when reheating. It should also be freezer-friendly, though it isn’t something I’ve tried.
Recipe Notes
- I tend to cook the soup on the stove, though it should also work well in a crock-pot/slow cooker. I would still sauté the onion first, then add all the ingredients (including soaked but not cooked beans from dry) and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. The exact time depends on your slow cooker. Canned beans can become a bit too soft/mushy otherwise – though this isn’t too important if you’re planning to puree the soup.
- The Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: I use fresh sliced tomatoes roasted with a little olive oil at 450F for 30 minutes. However, you can use 1 (14oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead.
More Tipps
- The Pinto Beans: I typically cook pinto beans from dry. However, for this recipe, I used canned beans. Check out my Instant Pot Refried Beans recipe on how to cook pinto beans from dry as they need to be cooked before adding to this recipe.
- Feel free to adjust the spiciness to your liking. You could add ancho chili powder for sweet and smoky spice or use regular chili powder.
- You can substitute other beans in place of the pinto though they will all affect the flavor and texture in different ways. Black beans, cannellini beans, or navy beans could work well.
- Add a little extra oil (such as avocado oil or olive oil) or plant-based cream to add a little ‘silkiness’ to the texture of the soup.
- If you’re short on time, then you can minimize the cooking time by using the tinned beans alongside microwaving the carrots and potatoes with a spoonful of water for 1-2 minutes, till slightly tender. This will reduce the time needed to cook them till tender. You can then add them and the beans to the soup at the same time and cook for 10-15 minutes maximum.
- For an additional smoky flavor, you could add a little liquid smoke to the soup.
Other Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Homemade Gluten-Free Tortillas
- Lentil Enchiladas
- Breakfast Burritos
- Taco Cups
- Black Bean Quesadillas
- Loaded Nacho Fries
- Oven Roasted Vegetable Fajitas
Make sure to also check out my Vegan White Bean Soup and this Veggie Stew if you love chunky soups/stews.
If you give this pinto bean soup recipe a try, I’d love a comment and recipe rating below. Also, don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing your recreations.
Pinto Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes (*see notes)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 small (150 g) carrots peeled and diced
- 1 medium (135 g) potato peeled and diced
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 14 oz cans pinto beans drained and rinsed (*see notes)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium/high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the roasted tomatoes, garlic, carrots, potato, and all spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, then pour in the vegetable broth (I also added 2 bay leaves for flavor).
- Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer with a lid for about 10-15 minutes. Add in the pinto beans and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the veggies are softened, stirring from time to time. Then turn off the heat.
- You can add more veggie broth or water if you notice that too much liquid evaporated.
- I poured about 50% of the soup into a different pot and used an immersion blender to blend it. You can also fill about half of the soup into a blender and blend it to the desired consistency.
- Then pour the blended soup back into the large pot and stir to combine. Taste it and add more salt/pepper/spices if needed. You can also add a little lime juice.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: I used fresh tomatoes (sliced) and roasted them (drizzled with olive oil) in the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. However, you can use 1 (14 oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead, as mentioned in the recipe.
- Pinto beans: The weight of the drained beans is about 250 g per 14 oz can. I typically cook pinto beans from dry, however, for this recipe I used canned beans. Check out this recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans to find out how to cook pinto beans from dry.
- Texture: You can blend just a part of the soup, half of it, or all of it.
- Read the blog post for serving suggestions, step-by-step photos, and helpful tips.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
I’ve been camping out on your page for about a year now and you never cease to amaze and impress!!!
This is THE BEST soup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aww, thank you so much, Michelle! So glad you like my page. 🙂
Recently became a vegetarian and I’ve been looking for a good bean soup recipe. This is it. Really delicious! I don’t like smoked paprika, so I used Hungarian hot paprika and it gave it the heat that I love. Thank!
Sounds great! I am happy you loved it. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
These sounds go good! Question I have to omit tomatoes what would be a good subitute for flavour?
Hi Beth, I think peppers would be great. 🙂
This soup was AMAZING! I love to cook and bake… and I love pinterest… but many soups on pinterest just don’t cut it for me. This one went above and beyond. I will be roasting my tomatoes from now on! I never leave comments but had to show you so love. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to try more of your recipes.
Silky, creamy deliciousness with deep flavour. Thank you thank you thank!
Aww, that’s so kind of you. Thanks for your great feedback, Stef. 🙂
Do you drain the canned tomatoes?
Hi Joan, no, don’t drain. Use everything which is in the can. 🙂
I’ve been avoiding the pintos in my pantry and now I have no idea why….this was DELICIOUS. Best bean soup ever
Yay, that’s awesome, Hannah! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
I made this tonight, and my family LOVED it! I thought they might complain and ask where the meat was, but they didn’t. I used canned tomatoes, and added a can of refried beans after I pureed half of the soup to make it a little thicker. I served with cornbread, broken tortilla chips and shredded cheese on top. Family (sons age 11 and 14, and hubs) asked me to make again.
Hi Amy, I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Is the nutritional info for a cup of soup. One cup? Thx.
Hi Donna, yes, one serving is a little more than one cup. 🙂
I’m not sure what you are trying to say with all the * after some of the ingredients? Can you explain further?
Hi Rose, there is a disclaimer on every page, that affiliate links are marked with an asterisk (*). I hope this helps.
This soup is amazing, one of my favourites, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve made it! Love eating it with nacho chips if I have some around. Thank you so much, it’s wonderful to get excited about eating healthy food and you make it that much easier.
That makes me very happy, Samantha! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
So flavorful and easy to make. Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome! Happy you liked it. 🙂
I forgot to buy pintos at the store. So I plan on substituting for black beans. I know it’s a slightly different profile… I wonder If it will come out well… I’m reminding of the old saying If “it grows together it goes together.” I’ll keep you guys posted.
Sounds interesting! I hope it turned out yummy. 🙂
It came out delicious! I recommend adding some olive oil to a pan and sauteing the leftovers. Then adding some Monterey jack cheese, salsa verde, and rolling it up in wheat tortilla… One of the best things I ever ate. A great way to get some whole grains in.
Thanks for reporting back, Joseph! 🙂
Used canned tomatoes and beans. Yummy and filling. My non Vegan husband even liked
It.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for your feedback, Royce! 🙂
Really enjoyed this recipe. Did a test run with canned tomatoes and canned beans. Next time will make the tomatoes and beans. Do you know if it will freeze well?
Forgot to add my rating. This is a keeper.
Thank you, Lisa. 🙂
Hi Lisa, yes, it should freeze well. I am glad you liked it. 🙂
I’m not a vegan so I browned a pound of ground beef along with the onions and used homemade chicken broth. Was so good! 😋Thanks for sharing!
Good to hear! Was just thinking I’d plan to add browned ground pork and omit the potatoes. Sounds delish!
Oh chorizo might be amazing with this too!
Hi!
I hace a question, how many grams are 2 14 oz can?
Hi! The weight of ONE 14 oz can is 400 grams (with the liquid) and about 250 g drained. 🙂
Thank you!!! 🙂
You are very welcome. 🙂
And yet, another 5-star recipe! You’re killing it, Ela!
Thanks so much, Christine. 🙂
This soup was so good and so easy to make! I followed the recipe exactly minus transferring 50% of the soup to another pot. I just did it in the same pan. It tasted even better the next morning. I dolloped some vegan sour cream on top before eating and that really brought out the flavor as well. I’ll have to try adding refried beans next time like the other people in the comments!
Sounds amazing, Nicole! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Love this soup!!! Its a favorite in my family….. we could eat it every week! And its so easy to make. I use dry pinto beans and make in my instapot after soaking 8-12 hours.
That’s awesome! So glad you love it. 🙂
Fantastic soup!
Added some corn at the end, I suggest trying it! It’s a nice sweet pop!
Sounds great, thanks for the suggestion Heather. 🙂
Great recipe. I didn’t use my immersion blender and added 1 full can of fat free refried beans. Will definitely be on my soup rotation list. Thank you!
Wonderful! Happy you liked it, Cheri. 🙂
This soup was great. We decided to add a small can of green chili’s, and since we like beans, we used both cans without blending and then used about 3/4 of a can of retried beans to smooth it out.
Sounds great, Robb! 🙂
Wonderful soup! Thankful I found it!
I am glad you enjoyed it, Donna! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it’s the best soup I ever made and tasted.
Thank you
I am so glad you liked it, Margie! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
This was excellent-healthy, easy, inexpensive, and flavorful! I added some of my own seasonings (Penzey’s adobo and chipotle in particular) but followed the recipe closely otherwise. We served with tortilla chips, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, lime juice, and cilantro. Next time, I’m going to add some roasted corn.
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I give this one 5 stars!
Sounds awesome, Jen! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! 🙂
My sister made this tonight — absolutely delicious. We love pinto beans! We garnished each bowl with lime and avocado. A great winter soup.
That’s good to hear, Kathryn! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
So delicious! I added a handful of spinach and a can of hominy just because I had it. Definitely in the rotation. A+
Happy you liked the recipe, Jamie. 🙂
Hey there awesome recipe . Question: will this recipe work if I don’t blend it ?
Yes, but it won’t be creamy, it will be a hearty stew. Check the step-by-step photos before blending, that’s how it will look. 🙂
I tried it today, amazing!!! Thank you very much for sharing 🤗
I am glad you enjoyed it, Diana. 🙂
This looks so delicious! I have a question. Can you tell us in the nutrition information what measurement a single serving actually is? I’m on a calorie watch diet and it would be immensely helpful to know this. My guess is that 1 cup of this soup is a single serving. Again, just a guess.
Thank you. Love your recipes!
Hi Vicky, yes, it’s about 1 cup (roughly 250 grams). I hope you will like it. 🙂
Great soup! Even my toddlers liked it, so that’s a win for me. Would definitely make again!
That’s good to hear, Jacki! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hello, it’s really delicious meal! Thank you a lot 🙏
You are very welcome, Natalia. 🙂
the recipe looks great but i’m not a big fan of potatoes – can i leave it out or substitute something else?
Sure! You could use sweet potatoes or veggies of choice. 🙂
Made this amazing recipe yesterday. Just sat down and ate my second bowl for lunch. The only changes I made was to add pickled jalapeños and cooked it in my instant pot. It was absolutely delicious! I topped it with tart yogurt and avocado. It was super delicious! I will make it again.
Sounds amazing, Lisa! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Are you serious?? You let thIS recipe out??? Let me tell ya something. Just the base before the beans go in is so delish that I am tempted to leave it at that BUT I promised my family beans. So in they go.!
I hope you don’t mind that this will be my family secret recipe.. I love love and love this recipe.
Hahaha, I love your comment, Monique! Thanks so much for your great feedback. And yes, sure, I won’t tell anyone, haha. 😀
Super easy and filling. Squeezed a lime in at the end and it was yummy 😋
I am so glad it was delicious! Thanks for your feedback, Lana! 🙂
Hoping to make this for dinner tomorrow, how many tomatoes do I need to roast for the recipe?
Hi Stacey, that depends on the size of the tomatoes. You’ll need 14 oz (400 g) of roasted tomatoes. I used 5-6 plum tomatoes. 🙂
This was fabulous! I used dry pinto beans and soaked them during the day. Easy to follow directions and super yummy. Both my kids had 2 bowls, which made this a great mom win for me! Super healthy, will definitely make it again. Thanks!
I am so glad it was a success! Thanks for your great feedback, Haviva. 🙂