Cinco de Mayo Soup Recipe: Spicy Pork, Bean and Vegetable Soup

Spicy Pork, Bean and Vegetable Soup - Seriously Soupy

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates Mexico's Independence in the Battle of Puebla over the French as well a day that celebrates Mexican heritage and pride. During Cinco de Mayo, Mexicans generally celebrate with music, bright costumes and delicious food. Some food that is enjoyed on this day is a Mexican soup called Menudo that is cooked for hours with tripe, hominy and chili, garlic and various spices. There are also soups like Chili Verde, stew made with green chili sauce and Posole, a soup that is made with pork or chicken and hominy in a light broth. For my Cinco de Mayo soup, I wanted to create a variation of some of these classic recipes and with my own recipe for the holiday. I decided to use pork as the base that I let cook for over 4 hours (I really wanted it to be tender) and some spices (jalapeno, chilies). I also tried to make it semi-healthy by adding in black beans, carrots, celery, corn and red peppers. As the soup/stew was cooking, the aromatic creation was delightfully filling up my kitchen with the most amazing smells and I loved tasting this soup as I went and adjusting the flavors by adding in various spices. I made the soup pretty hot, but the recipe can be easily adjusted by adding less chili powder and using half of the jalapeno. I hope you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some new soup recipes or try some of the classics that Mexicans have been loving for years. Enjoy!

Pork, Bean and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
3-4 cups of water
1 pound of pork loin - should shred off as it cooks
1 yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 red pepper, seeded and cut up
2 stalks of celery, cut up
4-5 baby carrots, cut up
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jalapeno, seeded and cut up
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1 can of black beans
1 lime, cut and squeezed
1 can of corn
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut up the onions and garlic and add them to the pan with the oil. Let cook and get slightly brown. Add the pork and the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and the jalapeno and let cook for about 20 minutes, flipping the pork when needed. Add some water, about 2 cups, and cover. Check on the pork periodically but I let it cook for about 3 hours. When ready, shred the pork with a knife and add the beans, corn, carrots, celery and some more water to the pan. Cover and let cook for another hour. Squeeze some lime in the soup and taste. Enjoy!

What soup recipes are you making on Cinco de Mayo?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Soups from South America: Part 2

I certainly learned a lot about soups from South America from the first part of this series and now the journey continues with soup recipes from Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Columbia, and Venezuela. Each country truly has its own distinct soup recipes that I'm sure are reflected in how different each culture and its people are. As I mentioned in the part one, this is not a complete list but a starting off point to learn more about these countries and their regional soups as as to get inspired to create a soup outside of your comfort zone. If you have any recipes to share, feel free to add you links in the comments section or email me at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com to be included in the list.

Soups from Bolivia
Fricase (Spicy Pork Stew) -  This spicy soup by Bolivia Bella can be used with chicken or pork, along with green and white onions, bread crumbs, cayenne pepper, and pork ribs. The hearty soup is also topped with corn and chuños (black dehydrated potatoes).

Peanut and Potato Soup by Green Girl

Sopa de Mani - Peanut Soup - A typical soup made in Bolivia, this peanut soup by Momstinct is made with peanut oil, ribs, raw peanuts, peas and potatoes. I also found a vegetarian version and step-by-step instructions of this peanut and potato soup by Green Girl that includes roasted peanuts, tomatoes, and chile powder.

Bori-Bori - Paraguayan Dumpling Soup from the New Book of Soups

Soup from Paraguay 

Bori-Bori - Paraguayan Dumpling Soup - It seems that every culture has their version of the dumpling and this delicious one from Paraguay is filled with meat, vegetables, and cornmeal-cheese. The broth itself is made from beef shank, saffron, carrots and celery that makes for a tasty broth recipe on its own. 

Soup from Uruguay  
Beef Tripe Stew - Tripe or stomach of a cow is the base of this authentic soup. The recipe includes detailed instructions on how to prepare the tripe soup, which also includes peas, rice, and tomatoes.

Ajiaco Bogotano (Chicken and Potato Soup) by My Colombian Recipes

Soup from Columbia
Ajiaco Bogotano (Chicken and Potato Soup) - Considered Columbia's national dish, ajiaco includes three types of potatoes and the South America herbs - Guascas and Aji Salsa, for the garnish.  My Columbia Recipes describes the soup as a "feel-good comfort soup" that also includes scallions, onions, celery, corn, and chicken.

Sopa de Res by Mindy's Deli

Soup from Venezuela
Sopa de Res or Hervido de Res - A simple and comforting beef soup, this sopa de res by Mindy's Deli includes beef shank, peas, carrots, garlic and onions.


Also be sure to check out part one of the series.