Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans

Man, I have been craving beans and soup something fierce. Even though the past 2 days have been lovely and in the 70's, today's cold and rain bring me right back to the reality of Fall and the upcoming Winter.

With the holidays fast approaching, we are hitting full stride in what's been dubbed "Cookbook Season." New authors and old alike are doing their best to get their new books out on shelves for that holiday gift giving. As a blog writer, I usually get my fair share of offers for review copies.

I must admit I was slightly skeptical when I read the title of this cookbook. The publishing company offered to send me a review copy of "1000 Vegan Recipes" and I immediately thought "quantity, not quality," as is the case with a lot of those titles. I've been burned a few times by books titled "One Zillion Greek Recipes" or "4 Million Ways to Make Indian," which are usually just huge paperweights with a few good recipes in them.

Fellow food blogger, Robin Robertson over at Vegan Plant, really got this one right. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a copy of this book and flipped through it. Right off the bat, I found quite a few different recipes I wanted to make. Each category is chock full of great looking recipes, vegan or not! From appetizers to side dishes to main dishes to brunch recipes, this book really is a go-to book for almost every occasion.

I received permission to post 3 separate recipes, and the following is the first I made, thus satisfying my desire for beans and soup. The ingredient list is simple enough and the preparation can be done in minutes, so this is a wonderful filling soup perfect for dinner.



Check back next week for another great recipe from this very useful cookbook!

Mexican Fideo soup with Pinto Beans
reprinted with permission
Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz fideo, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, broken into 2" pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (I subbed kidneys)
1 (4 oz) can chopped hot or mild green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
6 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove the onion mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil over medium heat, add the noodles, and cook until golden, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn the noodles.

Stir in the tomatoes, beans, chiles, cumin, oregano, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the onion mixture and simmer until the vegetables and noodles are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve.