Black Bean, Corn, & Tomatillo Soup

I love when experiments work out just as I’d planned.  I’ve used tomatillos a ton in various sauces, but never in soups… so figured I’d give it a try in a little bean and corn pot of goodness.  I mean, how could bean, corn, and that delicious tangy-tomatillo flavor be bad!?  Tomatillo salsa is scrumptious on pretty much all Mexican-style cuisine!  So I gave it a whirl… oh my delicious amazingness!!  The tomatillos add a tangy refreshing zing… mmm mmm good!  Not overboard though… just a little secret “my, that’s tasty!” kinda zing.  The remaining ingredients are pretty simple… beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, corn (fresh from the cob if possible), cilantro, lime, fresh peppers, and lots of tasty toppings!

This soup only takes about a half hour total to put together… amazing

dinner in a short time.  Now this I like.

These are tomatillos… for those who are unfamiliar.  They are very common where I live… a staple in Mexican cuisine.  If you can’t find them near you, just make the soup without- bean and corn soup is still yummy… just add a wee more lime to add that zingy refreshing quality the tomatillos add. 🙂

Can’t go wrong with this assortment of goodness… so fresh, so flavorful…

1/2 yellow onion, about 1 cup chopped

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 poblano pepper

1 serrano chile pepper

2 garlic cloves

3 tomatillos, about 1 cup chopped

1 can whole back beans

1 cup freshly diced tomatoes (or 1/2 can diced tomatoes)

1 dried bay leaf

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1 ear of corn (if substituting canned or frozen, about 1 cup)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 large lime

*for garnish: avocado, cilantro, tomato, Greek yogurt or sour cream,

Cotjia cheese (a dry Mexican cheese- use feta as a substitute if needed), lime, and scallions/green onions

These peppers are from my garden, so they may look different from the kind you find at the store.

As you can see, my peppers are quite mature and red… yours will likely be green 🙂

Serranos are spicy; the poblano is not, but adds a wonderful flavor…

Chop onion up and toss into a large pot or dutch oven with some olive oil over medium heat

Sprinkle in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper

Stir and let saute for about 5 minutes

Meanwhile, chop up peppers and garlic

Add to pot stir, and let cook for a few minutes

Take husk off of tomatillos

Chop up into little bite-sized pieces

Toss into pot and stir into veggies

Cook for about 5 more minutes

Add beans and 1/2 can of diced tomatoes

Also add bay leaf and cumin powder

Stir and let cook for about 10 minutes, uncovered

Meanwhile, cut kernels off of (raw) corn

I just hold the cob on its side and cut down along the edges

Stir into bean/veggie mix

Add about 1 cup of vegetable broth

Chop up about a cup of fresh cilantro- remove as many stems as you can easily

Stir into pot

Lower heat, cover, and let cook for about 10 more minutes

Add juice from 1/2 a large lime

Stir, taste, and check for seasonings and doneness… adjust as wanted

Now your soup is done!

Get your garnishes ready…

Ladle soup into bowls and top with all the goodies!!

Enjoy!!