Mexicali Tomato Bean Soup

This bean soup has serious backbone. Bacon fat is the cooking medium for the vegetables, and that smoky rendered fat carries flavor into every spoonful. Onions, red bell peppers, and a generous amount of seeded jalapenos get softened in the bacon drippings until fragrant and tender.

Fresh tomatoes and V8 juice build the broth, with chili powder and cumin layering on the Southwestern warmth. The beans simmer in all of this for 2 to 3 hours, absorbing that smoky, spicy, tomatoey liquid until they’re creamy and falling apart.

Six jalapenos is not a typo. Seeded, they bring a warm, peppery flavor without scorching heat. The sweetness from the red bell peppers balances them out.

Kitchen Tips

• Fry the bacon until truly crisp. Limp bacon disappears into the soup. Crisp bacon holds its texture and adds crunch if you crumble it on top at serving.
• Soak the beans overnight and drain. Using fresh water prevents the soup from getting gassy.
• Peel the tomatoes by scoring an X on the bottom and dropping them in boiling water for 30 seconds. The skins slip right off.
• This soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have deepened overnight.

Variations

• Use pinto beans or black beans instead of generic dried beans for a more traditional Mexican character.
• Add a smoked ham hock instead of bacon for an even deeper smoky flavor.
• Stir in a can of fire-roasted tomatoes for a charred, smoky note without the extra work.