Cowboy Pintos
Submitted by Ellie18
Dried pinto beans simmered from scratch with carrots, celery, Roma tomatoes, fresh thyme, oregano, and cilantro. A nourishing bean soup served over rice or barley that’s worth the overnight soak.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
10 hrsThese aren’t canned beans dumped in a pot. These are the real deal, cooked low and slow from dried pintos the way they did it on the trail.
An overnight soak, a patient simmer with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and plum tomatoes, plus fresh thyme, oregano, and whole cilantro sprigs that perfume every spoonful.
After about ninety minutes, the beans turn creamy inside while still holding their shape, swimming in a broth that’s earthy, herby, and deeply satisfying.
Serve it as a soup on its own or ladle it over white rice or barley for a heartier bowl.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the beans overnight and rinse them well. This cuts the cooking time and washes away the compounds that cause, well, you know.
- Don’t add salt until the end. Salt toughens bean skins during cooking and can double your simmer time.
- Skim the foam that rises in the first 20 minutes. It’s harmless but makes the broth cloudy.
- Bruise the cilantro sprigs by smacking them with the flat of a knife before adding. This releases their oils into the broth without the leaves breaking apart.
Ingredients
Directions
Pick over the beans, discarding any stones.
Soak overnight, covered with 2 inches of water.
Rinse several times and drain. Set aside.
Place the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat.
Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until wilted, adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
Add the carrots, celery and reserved drained beans.
Add the chopped tomatoes with ½ cup of the reserved juices, water, thyme and oregano.
Stir in the cilantro sprigs.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 1½ hours or until beans are tender but not mushy, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately as a soup or serve in bowls over cooked white rice or barley.
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