Let’s Talk Sopa Tarasca, Corn Fritters & a Hungry Crowd
Okay, story time: this Sopa Tarasca—the bold, smoky pinto bean soup hailing form Michoacán, Mexico—has rescued me from more than one rainy Sunday or hangry family meltdown. The first time I made it, I accidentally doubled the smoked paprika (story for another day) and turns out nobody minded. Add a sidekick—jalapeño corn fritters straight from my stubborn, chili-obsessed kitchen—and you’ve got yourself a bowl (and plate) that guarantees absolutely zero small talk at dinner. Or way too much, depending how spicy you go. In my house, it’s the latter.
Why You’ll Be Hooked (Even if it’s a Weeknight)
Mainly: I throw this together when the weather turns, or I just need to hit the reset button—from chaos to cozy in an hour, give or take. My partner claims that the combo of earthy beans and crispy-messy fritters practically solves arguments. (I mean, it didn’t work on our kitchen wallpaper debate, but you can’t really blame a soup, can you?)
I love that you can make the whole thing in a single, very stained, Dutch oven. And I once tried making this after a long day and used canned beans (don’t say it!)—it still rocks. Plus, you can play with whatever cheese you find hiding in the fridge. And I am obsessed with eating the leftover fritters for breakfast, even cold.
What You’ll Need (And a Few Lazy Swaps)
For the Sopa Tarasca:
- 2 cups cooked pinto beans (canned is fine when you’re running late, but home-cooked ones taste deeper somehow)
- 1 large onion, chopped (sometimes I swap leeks if I really must)
- 3 garlic cloves – smashed
- 1-2 dried pasilla or ancho chiles, stemmed (no worries if you skip, just add a little smoked paprika or chipotle powder instead)
- 1 big tomato, chopped (canned are okay—my grandma would side-eye me, but she was also practical)
- 4 cups veggie or chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon or whatever’s open in the fridge)
- 2 teaspoon cumin (my cumin lives next to my coffee; explains a lot)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, or whatever oil you have
- Salt + black pepper (I tinker with this by the pinch)
For the Jalapeño Corn Fritters:
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or straight off a cob—I swipe whatever)
- 2 jalapeños, finely chopped (seeds in or out, your call—I leave some in for kick)
- ½ cup all purpose flour (tried chickpea flour once, got weird, so just use AP!)
- ¼ cup cornmeal (sometimes I skip this and go all flour—still good, just less crunch)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta (or skip it for dairy-free, but it’s better with)
- Oil for frying (about a ¼ inch in your pan, and I never measure)
Toppings (totally optional): Avocado chunks, fried tortilla strips, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, hot sauce—go wild.
How To Do The Thing (Trust Your Gut, Mostly)
Sopa Tarasca:
- Sweat the aromatics. Heat oil in a big soup pot. Chuck in your onions and garlic, give them a slow sweat on medium until they smell dreamy, 5 min or so.
- Char your chiles! Add the dried chiles and toast them gently for a minute (don’t walk away; ask me how I know). Toss in tomato, cumin, paprika, oregano, and let things get saucy—3 or 4 min, stirring when you feel like it. Smells smoky at this point.
- Simmer time. Add beans (with their broth if homemade; if canned, rinse ’em), pour in stock, bay, and season. Bring it to a simmer. Now go do something else for 20 min.
- Blend it up. Fish out bay leaf. Either use an immersion blender right in the pot (my move) or scoop into a blender. You want it silky, but if it’s still a bit chunky, I just roll with it. Taste—this is where I usually sneak a spoonful. Adjust salt, maybe a squeeze of lime.
For the Jalapeño Corn Fritters:
- Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make a well, plop in egg and milk, and beat it up 'til just combined—it’ll be lumpy, don’t stress.
- Fold in corn, jalapeño, and cheese. If it feels dry, splash in a dash more milk—I tend to wing it here.
- Heat oil in a wide pan, medium-high heat. Drop tablespoons of batter; don’t crowd the pan, they need breathing room. I press them down a bit so they crisp on the edges.
- Fry 'til golden, 2-3 minutes a side (first side always takes longer for me). Drain on paper towels. Always sneak one now because, well, cook’s privilege!
To Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, stack your fritters generously on the side, and go wild with toppings.
My Genuine Notes (a.k.a. ‘Mistakes’ Learned Form Experience)
- If your soup ends up too thick, just splash in some water or extra broth—better than accidentally turning it into dip.
- Canned beans are not a crime, and honestly, nobody notices under all those toppings.
- Never skip the cheese on the fritters unless you want less happiness—though I've tried and survived.
- Soup thickens as it cools, so leftovers always feel different the next day—sometimes even tastier?
Ways I’ve Messed Around with This Recipe
- Used chipotle in adobo instead of dried chiles—smokier, kinda BBQ-y, but not bad at all.
- One time swapped half the pinto beans for black beans and… eh. Prefer the classic. But you do you!
- Added shredded chicken once and made it more like a meal-in-a-bowl—good for a crowd.
- Used cheddar in my fritters when there was no queso fresco. Nobody blinked.
Gear Up (But Don’t Fret if You’re Missing Stuff)
- Soup pot or Dutch oven (anything deep enough; your big stockpot with chipped enamel is perfect)
- Immersion blender is easiest (but regular blender, even food processor works—just don’t fill it too much, trust me)
- Wide frying pan for fritters (cast iron adds extra crunch, but nonstick totally fine)
- Slotted spoon (or just a fork, honestly, who cares)
And if all you’ve got is a vintage electric hand mixer to whiz the soup, well, that actually kinda works (ask me how I know) as long as you cover the bowl with a towel.
How Long Does It Keep? (Not That You’ll Need To Worry)
I *think* it would keep three or four days in the fridge sealed tight, but, honestly, it rarely survives a day here—it kind of vanishes, especially the fritters. Reheat over gentle heat; add water if things got thick overnight. Fritters are oddly good cold, but you can crisp them up again in a dry pan, if you’ve got the willpower to wait.
Serving: The Fun Part
In our house, it’s bowls of smoky soup, a crater of fritters on the side, and every topping on the table. Personally, I go heavy on cilantro and avocado when it’s payday, but sometimes I just do a mountain of tortilla strips and hot sauce (for maximum crunch and low stress). The fun is in the piling up—one of my kids tried dipping fritters right in the soup like a big chunky spoon, and now I secretly do the same.
Lessons I Learned the Hard Way (Pro “Tips”)
- Don’t rush blending the hot soup—one time my blender literally exploded. Let soup cool a couple minutes, or leave the lid slightly ajar, or… just use the stick blender!
- Pat your fritters dry or you’ll get soggy bottoms. (Learned that after my first batch glued itself to the plate like cement.)
- Taste at every step. The first time I made this, I just threw in spices willy-nilly and yeah, it was... not subtle.
FAQ (Real Questions, Real Answers)
- Can I make this vegan?
Absolutely, just skip the cheese in the fritters (maybe add some nutritional yeast for funkiness) and use veggie stock. Nobody in my crew seemed to notice, though it’s a bit less decadent. - What if I can’t find pasilla or ancho chiles?
Don’t stress, seriously—smoked paprika plus a dash chipotle powder works, or even just a bit of your favorite chili powder. I’ve done it in a pinch. - Do the fritters have to be fried?
Baking's possible, but let’s be honest: they’re way crunchier fried. Still, if you bake, use a really hot oven (about 220C, 425F) and brush a little oil on both sides. Texture's different, but you won’t be kicked out of my kitchen. - Can I freeze the soup?
Yup. Just let it cool fully before popping it in containers. Defrost gently, stir, and add a little water if it’s gotten thick or odd—on second thought, it’s often better fresh but okay in the freezer. - What if I hate cilantro?
Leave it out, or use parsley. Or just load up on avocado and nobody will know.
So there you have it: Sopa Tarasca and jalapeño corn fritters that practically cook themselves (if you ignore the part where you actually have to cook them). Let me know if you try it—and if your family fights over the last fritter, you’re doing it right.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans (or canned, drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
-
1Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and chipotle pepper, and sauté for 1 minute.
-
2Add pinto beans, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and ground cumin to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice.
-
3Using an immersion blender or a standing blender, carefully blend the soup until mostly smooth with some texture remaining.
-
4For the fritters: In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and egg. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then stir in corn kernels and chopped jalapeño.
-
5Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter into oil and fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels.
-
6Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with several jalapeño corn fritters. Serve hot with lime wedges if desired.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!!