Sour Cream Burrito Mexican Soup
My husband and I first had a soup like this at a restaurant in John Wayne Airport after a trip to Disneyland last year. It was one of those unexpected airport meals that ended up being so delicious that I couldn't stop thinking about it. As soon as we got home, I knew I had to try recreating it myself.
They served the soup with tortilla chips and a creamy, tangy topping, and I highly recommend doing the same. That salty crunch with the creamy, spicy soup is amazing! Either dip the chips straight into the bowl or crumble a handful over the top.
After a little experimenting (including testing whether I could shortcut the spices — spoiler: I wouldn't), After much research and a few trial batches, this is my version :)
Ingredients:
For the Beans
½ cup dry kidney beans
½ cup dry pinto beans
2 bay leaves
Salt
Water, for soaking and pressure cooking
For the Soup Base
3 red bell peppers, for roasting
2–5 jalapeños, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely diced
5–10 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp ground cumin
3 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp paprika
1 can whole tomatoes, low-sodium or no-salt-added, with no added seasonings
Approximately 2 L vegetable broth
1 parsnip, peeled
2 celery stalks
2 bay leaves
Salt, to taste
Ingredients to Add After Blending
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup frozen corn
1½ cups low-fat sour cream
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
For Serving
Tortilla chips
Mexican crema or crème fraîche, for drizzling
Crumbled cotija or feta cheese
Fresh cilantro, optional
Sliced jalapeños, optional
Directions
1. Soak the beans.
Place ½ cup dry kidney beans and ½ cup dry pinto beans in a large bowl and cover generously with cold water.
Soak overnight, then drain and rinse thoroughly.
2. Cook the beans in the Instant Pot.
Transfer the soaked kidney and pinto beans to the Instant Pot. Add 2 bay leaves, a pinch of salt and cover the beans with fresh water by approximately 1½–2 inches.
Cook on High Pressure for 10–11 minutes, followed by a 15-minute natural pressure release.
Release any remaining pressure. Remove and discard the 2 bay leaves, then drain the beans and set them aside.
The beans should be tender but still hold their shape.
3. Roast the red peppers.
Place 3 whole red bell peppers in the air fryer and roast until soft and well blistered, turning as needed.
Transfer the hot peppers to a covered bowl or container and let them steam for approximately 10 minutes.
Peel away the blistered skins, remove the stems and seeds, then roughly chop the roasted peppers. Set aside.
4. Slowly cook the onion.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat.
Add 1 large finely diced onion and cook slowly until very soft and beginning to turn golden.
Don't rush this step. Giving the onion time to soften and develop some colour creates a much deeper flavour for the soup.
5. Add the garlic and jalapeños.
Add 5–10 minced garlic cloves and 2–5 finely diced jalapeños to the softened onion.
Cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
For a milder soup, use around 2 jalapeños and remove the seeds and pale inner membranes before chopping. If you like your soup spicy, use 3–5 jalapeños and leave some or all of the seeds and membranes intact.
Jalapeños can vary quite a bit in heat, so adjust them to your taste. 6. Bloom the spices.
Add 3 tbsp ground cumin, 3 tbsp ground coriander and 3 tbsp paprika directly to the onion, garlic and jalapeño mixture.
Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until the spices become very fragrant.
Don't skip this step. I've tried making this soup both ways: blooming the spices with the onions, garlic and butter, and taking the shortcut by adding them directly to the broth. The shortcut works, but the flavour isn't nearly as deep. After trying both versions, I definitely don't think the little bit of time saved is worth it. Those extra 30–60 seconds make a noticeable difference.
7. Build the soup base.
Add 1 can whole tomatoes, breaking the tomatoes apart with your spoon.
Add the 3 roasted red peppers, followed by all of the cooked kidney and pinto beans.
Pour in approximately 2 L vegetable broth, then add 1 peeled parsnip, 2 celery stalks and 2 bay leaves.
The parsnip, celery and bay leaves are there to flavour the broth. They'll be removed before the soup is blended.
Stir everything together and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavours have come together and the parsnip and celery have had time to flavour the broth.
8. Remove the flavouring vegetables and blend.
Before reaching for the immersion blender, remove 2 celery stalks and 2 bay leaves.
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until the roasted peppers and tomatoes have disappeared into the broth and some of the beans have been puréed.
Don't blend it completely smooth. Leaving some of the beans intact gives the soup texture, while the partially blended beans naturally thicken the broth.
9. Add the reserved vegetables.
After the soup has been blended, stir in 1 finely diced red bell pepper, 1 finely diced green bell pepper and 1 cup frozen corn.
Simmer gently until the peppers are tender but still have a little bite.
These ingredients are intentionally added after blending so they remain intact, giving the finished soup plenty of colour and texture.
10. Make it creamy.
Reduce the heat to low.
Stir in 1½ cups low-fat sour cream until completely incorporated and the broth becomes rich and creamy.
Once the sour cream has been added, keep the soup at a gentle heat rather than bringing it back to a hard boil.
11. Finish with fresh cilantro!!!!
Stir in 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro just before serving.
Taste and add salt as needed.
If the soup is thicker than you'd like, add a little additional vegetable broth. If you'd prefer it thicker, let it simmer gently until it reaches your desired consistency.
12. Add the toppings and serve.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a generous handful of tortilla chips on the side just like the soup that originally inspired this recipe in California.
Drizzle each bowl with a little Mexican crema or crème fraîche, then sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese. If you can't find cotija, feta is a great substitute and gives the soup that same salty, tangy finish.
Add fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeños if you like.
Serve the tortilla chips alongside for dipping, or crumble them directly over the soup for some extra crunch. The combination of creamy soup, tangy cheese and crema, and salty tortilla chips is what really brings the whole thing together.
Speaking of bringing together, I've made this soup for 3 different crowds of friends and each time its an absolute hit, so your sure to enjoy.
Dobru Chut :)
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