A Deliciously Tasty Mexican Potato Soup Recipe
Nothing tastes better than a hot, filling soup after a long day. You need a soup that fits the bill but doesn’t take a lot of work to put together. Keep reading for the best Mexican potato soup recipe and ideas on keeping things fresh yet simple each time you make it.
Simple Recipe With Deep Roots
If you have Mexican roots, there’s a good chance you’ve had a version of Mexican potato soup. Grandparents made this soup when money was tight or at the end of a cold, damp day. It’s a soup that brings simplicity and budget-friendly ingredients to any kitchen.
The brilliance of this soup is that you can make it yours, even if you want to add ingredients that aren’t considered Mexican. It’s a soup that welcomes diversity and only improves when you customize it to your tastes and needs.
A Simple Mexican Potato Soup Recipe
It’s best to start with the most common, basic recipe to make this soup. This soup makes a delicious, pleasing, and satisfying meal any time of the day or year.
Ingredients:
- 3 red or white potatoes (try not to use russets as they absorb more water)
- ¼ white onion
- 2 beefsteak or plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp of salt
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder (or 1 cube)
- 6 cups of water
Directions:
- Peel potatoes and cut them into ½ in x 2 in strips.
- Slice the onion into ¼ in strips.
- Blend the tomatoes with a tablespoon or so of water.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot.
- Add the onions and saute until they’re translucent. This usually takes about five to six minutes.
- Next, add the potatoes, salt, and bouillon to the pot.
- Strain your tomatoes into the pot.
- Add enough water to the pot to cover the potatoes with about 1 in of water (usually around 6 cups).
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for around 30 minutes.
If you’d like to serve the soup with hearty bread or corn tortillas, warm them up while the soup cooks and serve them together.
Variations to Switch up Your Mexican Potato Soup Recipe
Since this soup is so simple, it’s easy to transform it day after day. Additional cooking steps, add-ins, and toppings can make this soup brand new time and again.
Here are some ideas to keep this already delicious soup fresh in your meal rotations:
- Roast your tomatoes before blending. You can do this in a skillet or the oven. Keep an eye on them and rotate them so they don’t burn.
- Add jocoque or fermented milk. You can often find this in the International section of a grocery store or at a Mexican food store. This is best added just before serving.
- Melt queso fresco or queso panela into the soup. Avoid high-fat cheese, as the texture isn’t always pleasant in this kind of soup. Add the cheese during the last couple of minutes on the stovetop to soften the cheese just a bit.
- This soup is excellent with chiles. If you love the kick of a jalapeno or the heat of a hotter pepper, any of them, like poblanos, jalapenos, or Anaheim green chiles, give this soup a whole new flavor profile. Roast them if you’d like to!
- Switch up the stock or broth you use, especially if you add a protein like chicken or beef.
- Season your soup differently every time! Since the original recipe leaves room for just about any seasoning, you can consider:
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Mexican oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Chile powder
- Cumin
- Add chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce! If you’re new to this spicy addition, start off adding just a bit at a time (you may want to use ½ of a pepper and ½ tsp of the sauce). It can knock your socks off!
- Add black, pink, or white beans for extra protein. This will make your soup more filling and go a long way. When you make it like this, you’ll probably have enough leftovers to have lunch for the week!
- Lentils are often overlooked and can be an exceptional addition to this soup. Green and brown lentils will keep their shape after cooking, while yellow or red can break down to thicken the soup. Try both at different times to see which you like best.
- Add a spritz of lime juice! This works well if you’re adding some heat to your soup.
- Add cooked chicken, beef, or pork to the soup. Make sure you use the corresponding stock or bouillon unless you’re using vegetable stock!
- Serve over cooked noodles or rice for a hearty meal. It’s a great way to bulk up the soup while using leftovers.
There’s no limit to the ingredients you can use to make this soup fresh and exciting each time you make it. When you start with these ideas, you’ll be coming up with your own unique additions in no time!
Easy Ways to Simplify Your Soup
Peeling, cutting, and other steps might seem like a lot to someone not up to meal prep. So keep these tips in mind to serve a soup that will still taste like you spent tons of time putting it together:
- Use a can of pureed tomatoes instead of peeling and blending your own. If you’re up to using a can opener, this is a great way to get around a couple of steps.
- Instead of fresh or canned tomatoes, use a can of tomato soup. Be sure to add the right amount of milk or water to your soup when you add it to the pot. The condensed soup will be too thick, and the potatoes will have a hard time softening if you don’t.
- Buy canned or prepared meat and throw it into the soup. Rotisserie chickens are fantastic for this purpose.
- Add some salsa to add heat to your soup without adding steps. You can choose mild, medium, or hot to match your preferences. This also adds tomatoes, chiles, and onions so that you can use it in place of all of them!
- Use your slow cooker! Prepare your soup the night prior or before your busy day begins. Just add the ingredients and set it on low for 6 to 7 hours.
- Add a tsp or more of taco seasoning to the soup. You’ve just turned Mexican potato soup into taco soup!
- Add fire-roasted tomatoes in place of other tomatoes. Open the can, pour it into the pot, and you’ve just added a new flavor profile without extra steps.
Once you start thinking about what you can do to simplify making this soup, you’ll come up with your own substitutes or ideas. You can have a delicious, filling soup anytime when you simplify your steps!
Make This Mexican Potato Soup Recipe for Your Loved Ones
Mexican potato soup is the kind of dish that brings people together. Play around a bit with your favorite ingredients to create the perfect version. When you do, don’t be surprised if your Mexican potato soup becomes a highly requested dish for your friends and family.