Slow Cooker Refried Bean Soup
No Comments Aug 18, 2024
Updated Sep 05, 2024
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This economical recipe for refried bean soup has only a few ingredients, but the flavor is AMAZING. Talk about pure comfort in a bowl, especially if you are a pinto bean lover.
Other ways we use pinto beans are in slow cooker refried beans and spicy pinto beans.
Table of Contents
When I came across a recipe for pinto bean soup a few weeks ago, I wondered why I have not made it yet! We LOVE pinto beans in our house. Usually, we just have refried beans or pinto beans as a side dish.
With this soup recipe, the pinto beans are the star of the show! I adapted my flavorful refried beans recipe into a soup form (minus the butter). This is a great soup to keep in the fridge for quick lunches or dinners.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pinto Beans – One pound of dried pinto beans. There is no need to presoak these; cooking them on high will make them ultra tender.
- Onion – My favorite way to add flavor to Mexican beans in the crockpot is to fry onion slices in oil! It adds SO Much flavor. These will get blended up into the soup before serving.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder
- Chicken Broth – Instead of water, chicken broth adds more depth of flavor to the beans
- {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the photos}
Variations
- Black beans can be used instead of pinto beans!
- For a spicy refried bean soup, add two chopped jalapenos.
- To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth. Or you can use water but you will need to add more salt and seasonings.
- Slice the onion into thick slices and fry them in oil in a frying pan until almost burnt.
- Add the pinto beans, seasonings, and fried onion to the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 hours.
- When the cooking time is up, blend the beans into a soup with an immersion blender.
Best Serving Ideas
- Add a generous sprinkle of cheese to each bowl. We prefer Monterey Jack cheese or sharp cheddar.
- Diced sweet yellow onion or green onion will add texture to the soup.
- We love this soup topped with crushed saltine crackers, not traditional, but SO good for soaking up the refried bean soup flavors.
- Other toppings we love are sour cream and dash of hot sauce.
- Lastly, a great side dish to make the soup into a complete meal is to serve with warmed flour tortillas or cornbread. (try my slow cooker cornbread)).
Recipe FAQs
Soaking the beans is not necessary in this recipe. If you prefer to, do so overnight or for 8 hours. Drain off water and continue with this recipe, you won’t need to cook as long.
This soup keeps good for about 3 days in the fridge, or about 3 months in the freezer.
More bean recipes:
- Slow Cooker Beer and Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Chicken
- Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Lima Beans
Slow Cooker Refried Bean Soup
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried pinto beans
- 1 white onion, (cut into large slices)
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 64 oz. chicken broth, (two 32-oz. cartons OR 9 cups)
- 1 tsp. salt, (add at the end)
For Serving
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- crackers, or tortilla chips
Instructions
- Add oil to a large skillet set to medium high heat on the stove top. Add the thick cut onion slices to the pan. Brown on both sides.
- Add the onions to the slow cooker. Add the beans, seasonings, and chicken broth.
- Cook on HIGH For 6 hours.
- When the cooking time is done. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth, or a blender can be used, in batches.
- Serve with desired toppings.
Sarah’s Notes
- Nutritional values do not include toppings for the soup.
- Soaking the beans is not necessary in this recipe. If you prefer to, do so overnight or for 8 hours. Drain off water and continue with this recipe, you won’t need to cook as long.
- Black beans can be used instead of pinto beans!
- For a spicy refried bean soup, add two chopped jalapenos.
- To make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth. Or you can use water but you will need to add more salt and seasonings.
- Add a generous sprinkle of cheese to each bowl. We prefer Monterey Jack cheese or sharp cheddar.
- Diced sweet yellow onion or green onion will add texture to the soup.
- We love this soup topped with crushed saltine crackers, not traditional, but SO good for soaking up the refried bean soup flavors.
- Other toppings we love are sour cream and dash of hot sauce.
- Lastly, a great side dish to make the soup into a complete meal is to serve with warmed flour tortillas or cornbread.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
