This soup is velvety and mild. The salsa has little or no heat but it’s loaded with flavor. It’s a nice accent to the beans and potatoes.
Like many good dishes, this was born of leftovers. Some beans, some potatoes and some salsa. Voila! A soup course and it’s perfect for weeknights or special occasions.
Serves 4 to 6 as a soup course.
- 1/2 cup cooked Alubia Blanca, Royal Corona or Cassoulet beans
- 2-1/2 cups cooked potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), cubed
- 2 cups liquid made up from leftover bean broth, potato cooking water or a combination
- 3 tablespoons Cascabel Chile Salsa (see below)
- 2 tablespoons Crema Mexicana or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon of Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio
- Salt to taste
- In a large saucepan, add the beans, potatoes and cooking liquid. Blend with an immersion blender (or in batches with a countertop blender) and then gently heat on medium low heat for about 10 minutes. When the soup is hot, add the salsa, crema and Rancho Gordo Oregano Indio. Add salt and check seasonings.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with more oregano, if you like.
Cascabel Chile Salsa (from a recipe by Diana Kennedy)
- 10 Cascabel Chiles, wiped clean, seeds and veins removed, seeds reserved
- 12 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- About 2/3-cup water
- Toast the chiles over medium heat on a comal or dry skillet, turning them constantly so that they don’t burn. Remove from heat. Toast the seeds to a deep golden brown, turning constantly or they will burn.
- Blend all ingredients together for a minute or two in a blender, adding a little more water if necessary; the sauce should have a loose consistency, but will thicken as it stands.