This Pinto Tortilla Soup recipe is easy to make because it uses salsa in place of having to chop many of the vegetables but it still packs a great punch of flavour. It is perfect for cold winter days. This soup can be made in the crock pot or on the stovetop.

I first started making this soup three houses ago (I determine what year it was based on where we were living at the time!) so I know that it’s been helping to feed our family for over a decade at least. I always keep two cans of chili style beans in the house because this is so easy to whip up and as long as I have those, I always have the other ingredients.

You can easily adjust the spiciness of this soup by using a milder or hotter salsa. Since our kids eat this soup as well, I usually choose a medium salsa so that it still has some spice but it’s not too spicy for them to enjoy. They can also add a bit of sour cream on top of theirs if they find it still too spicy for their tastes.

Provided that the vegetable bouillon powder you use is gluten free, this recipe is completely gluten free.

Pinto Tortilla Soup Recipe:

1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1/2 a large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
3 cups water
3 cups salsa
2x 14oz. pinto beans with liquid (for this, I use cans of chili style pinto and kidney beans)
1-2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. vegetable bouillon powder
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in butter or olive oil until soft. Add the other ingredients. Simmer for an hour. Remove bay leaves.

Serve topped with grated jalapeño jack cheese. You can also make some tortilla strips for topping by cutting flour tortillas in strips and placing them in a 350° oven for 3-5 minutes on a baking sheet.

Other topping suggestions are sour cream and/or avocado to cut down on the spice.

This soup can also be made in the slow cooker by adding all ingredients except the beans and cooking on low for 2-4 hours, adding the beans in the last hour.

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