My mom came across this recipe while she was in college, and is still making it to this day. The only time that she's ever been able to not stand eating it is when she was pregnant with me in her first trimester, because she said when she threw it up, it looked just like it did when she made it.
Despite that story, I remember begging my mom to make me this soup all the time when I was growing up. It's amazingly flavorful, simple, cheap to make, makes your house smell damn good, and tastes even better after sitting for a few days in the fridge and then being reheated in a somewhat dirty microwave—which is great news for all of us, don't even lie.
"I care about my microwave being clean."
"My whole house smells like bacon and this is never going to end."
Arizona Mountain Soup
-1 1/2 cups dry pinto beans (tastes much better than canned, but if you aren't that dedicated, go for 2 cans of pinto beans)
-1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-1 package bacon (YEP)
-1 medium-ish size onion
-2 or 3 cloves of garlic
-2 Tbsp. Summer Savory
-2 Tbsp. Oregano
-a bit less than 2 Tbsp. Thyme (I told you)
-a bit less than 2 Tbsp. Parsley
-1 heaping tsp. Cumin (do you feel pretty yet?)
-1/2 tsp. Celery Seeds
-Salt and pepper to taste
First things first, if you're dealing with dried pinto beans, make sure that you leave yourself enough time to soak them, and cook them. I've done it the long way and the quick way—the long way typically involves letting them sit in cold water for 8 hours, the short way involves boiling them for a couple of minutes and then letting them sit for an hour. And after that, they take about an hour and a half to cook. Check your package directions and do what's right. I promise you, it's worth it.
While your beans are set up and cooking, you can either jump right into this next step or watch Netflix for 30 minutes.
You know what to do.
Next step: chop up that onion and garlic. Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces.
Your next step is to pull out your dutch oven or large soup pot. They both essentially do the same thing, but the dutch oven just feels so powerful with that heavy lid and that "don't touch me anywhere, I will burn you" attitude. Turn your stovetop to medium heat, and throw the onion, garlic, and bacon in the pot once it's hot.
It's in the shape of a heart because you're gonna need a new one at this point.
The Spice Family
Don't get intimidated at this stage. You're almost at the sticking-this-in-your-mouth part! Just stir all of the correct spice amounts in the pot, and then add the salt and pepper to taste (if you need a starting point, stir in 1 Tbsp. of salt and half as much pepper--adjust as needed).
Make sure your pot is set on low, then cover it, and let it simmer for at least a half hour. While you wait, why not make yourself a drink? Here's what I made.
I think you can see what's going on here.
Are you still waiting? Watch some Netflix.
Come back to me.
Don't bother your soup! I simmered mine for about 45 minutes, and this time I also shredded the rest of our Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and threw that in. Oh my, was that a good decision. I have also added roasted green chilies with similar success. ENOUGH OF MY WORDS. This is what it looks like...
Yes.
As I said earlier, this stuff is great when it's reheated. As you may notice, this is more of a "simmery wet combination of food" than a traditional soup. I like it that way. You can add a bit of water when you reheat it, for consistency. It's great with cheese. Or sour cream. Or nothing. Or everything.
Enjoy!
