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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Brothy Mexican Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

A light, cumin-scented tomato broth full of tender zucchini, carrots, sweet corn and pinto beans, finished with lime, cilantro, creamy avocado, crumbled queso fresco and crisp tortilla strips.

Brothy Mexican Vegetable Soup with Pinto Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp15 gOlive oil
  • 1 medium110 gYellow oniondiced
  • 2 medium120 gCarrotssliced into thin coins
  • 2 stalks80 gCelerysliced
  • 1 whole14 gJalapeñoseeded and minced
  • 3 cloves9 gGarlicminced
  • 1½ tsp3 gGround cumin
  • 1 tsp1 gDried oregano
  • 14½ oz411 gDiced tomatoes, canned
  • 4 cups880 gVegetable broth
  • 1 can, drained277 gPinto beans, canned, drainedrinsed
  • 1 medium196 gZucchinidiced
  • 1 cup136 gCorn kernels, frozen
  • 2 tbsp30 gLime juice
  • ⅔ cup chopped10 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 1 cup diced150 gAvocadodiced
  • ½ cup crumbled60 gQueso frescocrumbled
  • 4 tortillas96 gCorn tortillascut into strips
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper

Steps

  1. Prep first: dice the onion, slice the carrot and celery, mince the jalapeño and garlic, dice the zucchini, chop the cilantro, and cut the corn tortillas into strips. Keep the frozen corn kernels in the freezer until needed. Dice the avocado and crumble the queso fresco just before serving.
  2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Toast the corn tortilla strips in the dry pot, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp and spotted; transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the olive oil to the pot, then the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 6 minutes until the onion softens.
  4. Stir in the jalapeño, garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the pinto beans, zucchini and frozen corn kernels straight from the freezer, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the zucchini is just tender and the corn is heated through.
  7. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice, half the cilantro and the black pepper.
  8. Ladle into bowls and top with the avocado, queso fresco, toasted tortilla strips and the remaining half of the cilantro.

Check labels: Gluten-free when you buy vegetable broth labeled gluten-free.

Contains: Milk. Some brands contain gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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