Makes: 6 servings

How to:

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it has completely softened, the edges are golden brown. Add the whole garlic clove and cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down to a soft, thick paste.

Add the beans along with 2 cup of their broth, as well as 6 cups of the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. The beans should be completely soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the masa for the dumplings. In a medium bowl, combine the corn masa flour with the water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, queso fresco, cilantro, and mint, and mix together until the dough is very soft, about 1 minute. Set aside, covered.

Working in batches, puree the bean soup in a blender until completely smooth or use an immersion blender directly in pot.. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low.

Begin forming the dumplings. Scoop a tablespoon of masa to make small, 1-inch balls, roll them between your hands (moisten your hands with water if they stick and, one-by-one, gently drop them into the soup. Once all the dumplings have been shaped and added to the soup, gently stir with a wooden spoon to make sure none stick to the bottom. Cover the pot partially with a lid and let the soup simmer gently for 15 to 20 more minutes until the masa dumplings are cooked through. They will thicken the soup as they simmer. You can add more broth if you would like your soup thinner.

Taste the soup for salt and add more if need be. Serve hot, add toppings that speak to you.

Although you can buy canned beans, if you make them at home they have a much nicer flavor, are creamier and are so incredibly easy. You can make a large batch refrigerate for about 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze which will last for months.

Two tips, if you make them at home:

Don’t add the salt in the beginning or it will toughen the beans. Add it at least after an hour of cooking when the beans are already a bit soft.
You don’t need to soak them the night before cooking. Yes, that helps to reduce the cooking time, and phytic acid but it is not necessary, especially if you add hoja santa (a dried herb that is amazing at breaking down acid and components in legumes). If you do soak them, don’t soak them more than 12 to 14 hours, because they may begin to ferment and that’s not the flavor you want. I like to soak for an hour or two.

I like making them with any bean, most popular are black beans and pinto beans.

Traditionally Frijoles de la Olla are cooked in an earthenware pot. It does impart a special Pueblo style flavor. I have one that I gifted myself from Plaza Bolivar. It is my all-purpose pot. A normal pot is just fine. You can use the instant pot but that’s a different recipe.

Makes: 5 cups beans, 2 cups cooking broth

Ingredients

1 pound (or about 2 1/4 cups) dried beans
1/2 white onion, outer skin peeled off
10 cups water may add more if necessary
1 tablespoon sea salt or to taste
Optional: dried Hoja Santa. Available online and in Latin American stores.

How to:

Rinse the beans in cold water and drain. If soaking, place in a bowl and cover with warm water.

Place beans in a large pot and cover with enough water to come up to at least 3″ above the top of beans, about 10 cups of water. Add the onion and Hoja Santa (if using) and bring to a boil. Let the beans simmer, partially covered, for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are so soft they come apart if you hold one between your fingers, and the broth has thickened to a soupy consistency. If the beans are not yet soft and the broth is drying out, add more water. Before eating, remove the cooked onion with a slotted spoon and then add the salt.

Bean Soup with Masa and Queso Fresco Dumplings

Frijoles de la Olla (beans of the pot)