Mexicali Black Bean Soup: the Works

🥘 Ingredients

• black beans (rinsed)
  15 oz
• black pepper
  1 pinch
• blue corn tortilla chips
  ½ cup
• cheddar cheese (shredded)
  ½ cup
• cooking oil
  1 tbsp
• roma tomato (diced)
  1 unit
• salt
  1 pinch
• scallions (trimmed and thinly sliced, separating whites from greens)
  2 unit
• smoky red pepper crema
  2 tbsp
• southwest spice blend
  2 tbsp
• tex-mex paste
  2 tbsp
• tomato paste
  2 tbsp
• veggie stock concentrate
  1 packet
• water
• yellow onion (halved, peeled, and finely diced)
  1 unit

🍳 Cookware

• small bowl
• large pot

1. 

   1

   Wash and dry all produce. Prepare yellow onion , scallions , and roma tomato . Drain black beans over a small bowl , reserving the liquid.

   yellow onion: 1 unit (halved, peeled, and finely diced), scallions: 2 unit (trimmed and thinly sliced, separating whites from greens), roma tomato: 1 unit (diced), black beans: 15 oz (rinsed)
2. 

   2

   Heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until softened, ⏱️ 3 minutes . Add southwest spice blend ; stir until fragrant, ⏱️ 30 seconds . Stir in diced tomato, tomato paste , and tex-mex paste until slightly darkened in color, ⏱️ 1 minute .

   cooking oil: 1 tbsp, southwest spice blend: 2 tbsp, tomato paste: 2 tbsp, tex-mex paste: 2 tbsp
3. 

   3

   Stir 1¾ cups water , veggie stock concentrate , beans, and ¼ cup reserved bean liquid into pot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, ⏱️ 5 minutes . Taste and season with salt and black pepper . Turn off heat.

   water, veggie stock concentrate: 1 packet, salt: 1 pinch, black pepper: 1 pinch
4. 

   4

   Crush a few blue corn tortilla chips . Divide soup between bowls and top with scallion greens, cheddar cheese , smoky red pepper crema , and crushed tortilla chips. Serve immediately.

   blue corn tortilla chips: ½ cup, cheddar cheese: ½ cup (shredded), smoky red pepper crema: 2 tbsp