Recipes

Fava Bean Soup

Fava Bean Soup

Sopa de Haba
Lots of fava beans are grown in Mexico. This slow-cooking, nourishing soup calls for dried, peeled yellow fava beans sold in packages or in bulk but not always easy to find in the United States. I buy the fava beans in Latin-American markets, imported from Mexico or Peru. If dried fava beans can't be found, small dried lima beans could be substituted. The flavor will be somewhat different though.
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Equipment

  • Saucepan 2-quart

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a 2-quart saucepan, soak the fava beans in the 3 cups of water 1 hour.
  • Put the pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until some of the beans are tender, about 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and thyme stirring, until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Scrape the skillet contents into the soup pan.
  • Cover and cook until the soup thickens, and the fava beans are soft and falling apart, about 1 hour more.
  • If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth to achieve the desired consistency.
  • The soup should have some texture.
  • Season with salt and pepper.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Chickpea and Cabbage Soup with Sausage

Chickpea and Cabbage Soup with Sausage

Sopa de Garbanzo y Col con Longaniza
Sanborn's is a very old and respected restaurant, now a chain, that originated in Mexico City more than fifty years ago, in an historic building dated 1735. It was in a branch of Sanborn's that I enjoyed this excellent soup.Mexican cooks remove the outer skins from the chickpeas (for better texture), by rubbing the cooked chickpeas between their fingers or in the palms of their hands. It's easy to do, but not entirely necessary. is a highly seasoned cured sausage. Use linguica or kielbasa, as substitutes.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ pound longaniza sausage cut into rounds 1⁄4-inch thick
  • ½ medium white onion chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes peeled and chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
  • ½ cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 141⁄2-ounce cans fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup canned chickpeas garbanzo beans, drained; outer skins rubbed off (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  • In a 4-quart pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add the sausage rounds and cook, turning, until light brown about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Remove the sausage to a plate.
  • In the same oil, cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring, until the tomato juices have cooked away, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the cabbage and parsley, and cook, stirring, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the broth, chickpeas, salt, and the reserved sausage.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer the soup 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Chickpea, Potato, and Tomato Soup

Chickpea, Potato, and Tomato Soup

Sopa de Garbanzo, Papa, y Jitomate
Only fresh ripe tomatoes provide the right flavor for this fine soup, so plan to make it when tomatoes are at their peak.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onion, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper.
  • Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and tomato paste.
  • Cook until the juices reduce and the mixture is nearly dry, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the broth, potatoes, and chickpeas.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the cilantro and salt.
  • Adjust seasoning.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Soup / Vegetables
Cuisine; Mexican

Chickpea and Corn Soup

Chickpea and Corn Soup

Sopa de Garbanzo y Elote
For a number of years I rented villas in Puerto Vallarta and led winter cooking trips to the area. I supplied a number of recipes for the group to prepare, but we always experimented and came up with new ideas. We went to the public market to purchase ingredients, and the participants cooked in teams to prepare a complete meal. This soup was created during one of those culinary holidays.Maggi seasoning extract is a flavor enhancer and is found in most supermarkets. Our in-house cook showed us how to prepare Baked Fish Fillets with Almonds to pair with the soup.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Cook the onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, thyme, and tomatoes.
  • Cook, stirring, until the tomato juices reduce and the mixture is nearly dry, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the chickpeas, corn, broth, Maggi, salt, and red pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the corn is tender and the flavors blend, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Divide among 4 soup bowls.
  • Top each serving with avocado and cilantro.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot with lime wedges.
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Course; Soup / Vegetables
Cuisine; Mexican

Vegetarian Pinto Bean Soup

Vegetarian Pinto Bean Soup

Sopa de Frijol
Beans of all kinds bubble away in clay pots throughout Mexico and just about everybody consumes a bowl of soupy beans every day. This homey pinto bean soup from northern Mexico is satisfying and warming on a cold day, and doesn't contain meat or meat broth, so it's a great soup for vegetarians, or if you don't have meat in the house. Ground chili powder can be found in cellophane packages in the Mexican section of most supermarkets or in Mexican markets. For best flavor make this a day before serving.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Pick over the beans carefully and remove any foreign particles.
  • Put the beans in a strainer and rinse under cold running water.
  • Put the beans, bay leaf, oregano, and cumin in a large saucepan with water to cover by about 2 inches.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the beans are tender and the liquid thickens, 1½ to 2 hours.
  • Do not let the beans boil dry.
  • Check the water level during cooking and add hot water, when needed, about ¼ cup at a time.
  • There should always be about ½ inch of water above the level of the beans.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and cook the onion, stirring, until it browns, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, tomatoes, and ground chili.
  • Cook, stirring, until the tomato juices evaporate, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • When the beans are tender, add the onion mixture to the beans.
  • Add salt, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes to blend flavors.
  • Remove the bay leaf, and serve hot.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Alphabet Soup for Children

Alphabet Soup for Children

Sopa de Letras para Niños
Mexican children, like children around the world, are fascinated by miniature letters of the alphabet, in pasta form, floating in their soup. They take delight in naming the letters that appear in their spoons before popping them into their mouths. The small amount of cumin adds a subtle, special flavor but won't startle young taste buds. Alphabet pasta should be available in most grocery stores.
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Equipment

  • medium saucepa

Ingredients

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion and cumin until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring, until the juices are absorbed and the mixture is nearly dry.
  • Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Add the pasta and salt to the boiling broth and cook, uncovered, stirring to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender, about 8 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Sonoran Cheese Soup

Sonoran Cheese Soup

Sopa de Queso
There are many versions of this rich cheese soup with potatoes and tomatoes in the Sonoran region of northern Mexico. Using nonfat chicken broth and cream are not a contradiction here. I prefer the thickness, flavor, and richness this combination develops. (A lighter milk product might curdle the soup during cooking, too.)
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.
  • Cook the green onions and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, until the tomato juices evaporate, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the chicken broth, cream, salt, and crushed pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Divide the cheese among 4 soup bowls.
  • Ladle the hot soup over the cheese and serve at once.
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Course; Cheese / Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Juan’s Garlic and Cactus Soup

Juan’s Garlic and Cactus Soup

Juan’s Sopa de Ajo y Nopalitos Juan Jose Lozano of Leon, Mexico, shared this soup recipe at a cooking class I attended. Cooking makes the garlic mild, mellow, and soft. The cactus adds a slight tartness, and the swirls of egg add richness, while the broth and beer balance the whole for an intriguing and satisfying soup. Juan added an unusual, hard-to-find sour cactus called xoconoxtle. I use bottled cactus packed in water for this soup. It’s readily available in many supermarkets or Mexican food markets in the United States.
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Equipment

  • large saucepan

Ingredients

  • Makes 4 to 6 servings
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12 large garlic cloves very thinly sliced
  • 4 cups chicken stock or canned fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup canned beef broth
  • ½ cup beer any kind
  • 1 cup rinsed water-packed jarred cactus strips nopalitos
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and cook the garlic, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients except the eggs.
  • Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until the garlic is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl beat the eggs until frothy.
  • Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Stir the soup briskly with a fork while pouring the eggs into the soup.
  • Cook 1 minute.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Soup / Vegetables
Cuisine; Mexican

Leek and Rice Soup

Leek and Rice Soup

Sopa de Porro y Arroz
Leeks are available in many of the major public markets in Mexico. The small amount of rice gives a bit of body to this quick brothy and healthful soup.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat.
  • Add the leeks, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of water.
  • Cook, covered, stirring frequently, until limp and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Adjust seasoning.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once.
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Course; Rice / Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

White Onion Soup

White Onion Soup

Sopa de Cebolla Blanca
Bellinghausen Restaurant in Mexico City, with a German name and Mexican ownership, has been in business for more than forty years, and serves many Mexican specialties. About the only German touch is draft beer—not unusual, since German played a role in teaching Mexico to make beer. Bellinghausen is one of my favorite places for lunch and people watching. Our favorite spot is the garden patio in the back, and I almost always order the wonderful onion soup made with white onions. This is my version of the soup.
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Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the chicken stock, if using homemade.
  • Then, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, and cook the onions, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender and fragrant, but not brown, about 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the salt, pepper, and chicken stock.
  • Bring the soup to a boil, and cook 4 to 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
  • Serve the soup hot.
  • Pass the cheese, cilantro, and limes to add at the table.
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Course; Soup
Cuisine; Mexican