Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
  • two 14-ounce cans pinto beans, drained
  • 2-3 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 3/4 cups frozen corn
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup cotija cheese
  • minced jalapeño (to taste – one is usually more than enough)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, and/or salt for topping
  • enough oil to fry

Instruction

  • Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft and fragrant. Add ancho chili powder and cumin; sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes; simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot. 
  • Add pinto beans to blender; puree with water or broth. Return to pot and stir it into the tomato mixture. Simmer over low heat until ready to serve.
  • For the corn fritters, pulse 1 cup of the corn in a food processor until smooth-ish. Mix your pureed corn with the flour, cornstarch, Cotija, jalapeño, and salt. Add in remaining 3/4 cup corn. Pour several cups of oil into a skillet for frying. Heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the corn batter in small rolled balls – about 1-2 tablespoons per fritter (a cookie dough scoop works well for this). Fry until golden on both sides. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
  • Serve soup topped with corn fritters, crema, Cotija cheese, cilantro, and anything else your heart is asking for. YUM.