This simple and satisfying bowl can come together quickly if you use canned beans, but it can take on deeper, more complex flavors if you plan ahead and cook the beans from dried. Serve with grated fresh, mild white cheese, toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), crema and/or minced cilantro.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion - or yellow, chopped (about 11 ounces or 1 ½ cups to 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder - preferably chipotle chili powder, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 large sweet red bell pepper - about 7 ounces, seeded and cut into small dice
- 1 poblano chile pepper - (2 to 5 ounces) seeds and ribs removed, cut into small dice
- 1 Anaheim chile pepper - (2 to 5 ounces) seeds and ribs removed, cut into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher sat - or more to taste
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes - scrubbed well and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup bean-cooking liquid or water - plus more as needed
- 3 cups drained home-cooked pinto beans - or 30 ounces canned, no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes and their juices
- freshly ground black pepper
- ½ lime - juice of, plus more to taste
- grated fresh mild white cheese - to serve
- toasted pepitas - pumpkin seeds, to serve
- crema - to serve
- minced cilantro - , to serve
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat for about 1 minute, then add the oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the onion, chili powder and cumin and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the bell pepper, chiles (to taste), garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add the bean cooking liquid or water, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, 15 to 30 minutes. Add more cooking liquid or water if the mixture seems dry.
- Gently stir in the beans, along with the tomatoes and their juices.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Taste, and season generously with the black pepper, plus additional salt and/or chili powder, and the lime juice, to taste. Serve hot.