Pinto Bean Soup with Chilli and Lime

This vegan pinto bean soup is a hearty and healthy recipe that's brimming with plant-based goodness. With a nice kick of chilli and lime to lift the other flavours, it's gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, high in protein, and very filling.

The final texture is something you have complete control over – make it smooth and creamy with a blender, chunky with a potato masher, or somewhere in between. This soup is filling enough as it is, but you can always make it stretch a little further with some tortillas or fresh bread.

For more legume-based soups, check out my recipes for smoky butter bean soup, hearty black bean soup, and white bean soup with lemon and parsley.

Is this soup healthy?

This pinto bean soup is a healthy and low-fat meal packed full of vitamins, fibre, and plant-based protein. The potatoes and beans also make it very filling, so there's no real need to bulk it out with sides such as fresh bread (unless you want to).

In one serving of this recipe you’ll find:

• Calories: 313 kcal
• Fibre: 15 g (63% of RDA)
• Vitamin C: 49 mg (59% of RDA)
• Protein: 15 g (30% of RDA)

What are pinto beans?

Pinto beans – translating from Spanish as 'painted' or 'speckled' beans – are a common bean variety popular in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, among others. They are often used in refried beans, chilli, and dishes such as burritos.

Making this soup with other beans

Pinto beans have a nutty flavour and creamy texture that make them perfect for soup recipes and other similar dishes like vegan chilli. If you don't have pinto beans, you could use pretty much any bean variety you like – white beans such as cannellini (white kidney beans), haricot (navy beans) or butter beans (lima beans) are all good options.

What you'll need

This recipe uses an interesting combination of ingredients for a hearty and healthy soup that tastes great:

• Pinto beans because it wouldn't be a good pinto bean soup without them
• Potatoes and other veg to add flavour and texture
• Seasonings in the form of cumin, smoked paprika, sage, and bay leaves
• Chilli and lime for some heat and zing

How to make pinto bean soup

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and add the onion and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring now and then until the veg has started to soften (1).

Once the veg is soft, stir in the garlic, chilli, and potatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes (2).

After a few minutes, add the cumin, smoked paprika, and sage. Stir well and cook for another minute (3).

Next, add the tomatoes, pinto beans, vegan stock, bay leaves, and nutritional yeast (4). Add a little water to the empty tomato can and swirl around before adding to the pan.

Mix well, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook on a low heat for around 15 minutes or until the potatoes have softened (5).

Once the potatoes are soft, stir in the lime zest and juice. Start with the juice of half a lime and work up from there to suit your taste.

Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and blitz using a hand blender (6).

Blend the soup as much or as little as you want to get the desired consistency. You could also transfer to a larger, more powerful blender, or simply mash using a potato masher.

Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Serving suggestions

I like to keep this soup simple with an additional squeeze of fresh lime juice and toppings such as chilli and sliced spring onions. Other toppings and serving suggestions include:

• Fresh coriander (cilantro)
• Crushed tortilla chips
• Smoky tofu pancetta
• Grated vegan cheese
• A drizzle of homemade cashew cream
• Fresh crusty bread
• Avocado slices
• A spoonful of pico de gallo

Variations and tips for pinto bean soup

• Chilli: I used fresh red chillies with a medium heat. You could use hotter ones, or even dried varieties such as ancho. If you're unsure of the heat level, start small and add more to suit your taste.
• Chilli powder: If using chilli powder, note that the heat and flavour will depend on the type you use.
• Quantity: This recipe should provide around four servings, but you could always make it stretch further with more beans, veg, and stock (and a touch more of each seasoning).

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

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You can also check out my full list of vegan soup recipes.