Mexican Soup
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!
Servings: 4
Calories: 381kcal
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (14 grams)
- ½ cup onion (chopped) (½ a medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can; around 2 cups)
- ⅓ cup salsa (optional; recommended if not using tomatoes)
- 14 ounces black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained)
- 29 ounces cooked hominy (1 large or 2 regular can(s), rinsed and drained)
- ½ cup quinoa (~3 ounces, uncooked; rinse before adding)
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (use bouillon and water if desired)
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons lime juice or lemon juice (optional but recommended if not using salsa)
- cheese, cilantro, or tortilla chips (for serving; optional)
Instructions
- 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 15-30 minutes, however long your package of quinoa says to cook. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Taste soup. Add lime juice to make the soup taste brighter, if desired. Add salt and adjust other seasonings to taste.
- Serve with cheese, cilantro, or tortilla chips if desired. Leftovers are delicious.
Notes
This is a light, versatile soup that's perfect for customizing. Nothing is spicy in this soup unless you add salsa.
You can substitute frozen bagged onions and peppers if desired. I use jarred minced garlic.
You can use chickpeas, red beans, white beans, or pinto beans in place of black beans. Feel free to double quantities.
You can use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce in place of diced; check ingredients to be sure they don't contain basil. You can also add tomato salsa or canned tomatoes with chiles.
If you can't find or don't like hominy, add some frozen corn instead; this will make the soup taste brighter.
Cooking time depends on how frozen your ingredients are, and how long the grain takes to cook. Brown rice is a great substitute for quinoa, but will take longer to cook. Quinoa needs to be rinsed before cooking to reduce bitterness.
If using cooked quinoa or brown rice, reduce the water by 1 cup and stir in the grain a few minutes before serving to warm it. If using pasta or white rice that can get mushy, heat it separately and serve the soup over it.
Add lime juice to taste, if not using salsa.
Add peppers, zucchini, potatoes, spaghetti squash, celery, or carrots as desired.
Calorie count calculated in MyNetDiary and is an estimate only. It does not include cheese or any other toppings.
Recipe revised slightly 10/21/2025.
Nutrition
Calories: 381kcal
