A healthy Mexican-inspired soup that's delicious and easy to make! A perfect meal made from pantry staples, and a great way to use up leftovers!
In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add garlic and saute for another minute.
Add cumin and oregano, and stir to combine. Add tomatoes with their liquid, salsa (if using), beans, hominy, quinoa or rice, bouillon, and water. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for another 30 minutes (or however long your package of quinoa/rice says to), stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Taste soup. Add lime juice to make the soup taste brighter, if desired, and add salt and adjust other seasonings to taste. Serve with cheese, cilantro, or tortilla chips if desired.
This is a versatile soup. Add whatever you would like.
There's nothing spicy in this soup except for optional salsa. Add peppers as you would like.
The final cooking time will depend on how long your rice or quinoa package says it needs to cook. Quinoa needs to be rinsed before cooking to reduce bitterness.
If using cooked rice/quinoa: reduce the water by 1 cup, simmer the soup for 10 minutes after combining all ingredients, then add the cooked grain and warm through.
Add lime juice to taste, if not using salsa. Lime juice and salt will make the soup taste brighter.