Pinto Bean Soup

In these challenging economic days soup meals can be a terrific help to the budget, and soup is enjoyed by almost everyone. In fact, I can't honestly remember anyone ever saying, "no, thank you" to a dinner invitation because soup was being served. I usually serve salad, bread and dessert when I'm serving guests, but for just my family, I will serve salad or bread, not both, but always dessert, even if it is only fruit. Flour tortillas or French bread go great with this recipe.

It is so important to remember to connect with friends and family during challenging times, even times of unemployment, because we draw strength from others and we can be an encouragement to someone who may be hurting. I remember many meals shared with others during the days my husband and I were going through difficult financial times due to unemployment. And we ate this soup often, in fact, once when we had guests share this soup with us, my friend asked for the recipe for her recipe file. Won't you share a bowl of warm soup and a kind word with someone today? You will be rewarded for your kindness...

Recipe:
1 cup dry pinto beans
8 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
grated medium cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

About 5 hours before serving:
1. Rinse beans. In a soup kettle over high heat, heat beans, water, salt and pepper to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
2. Stir in oregano, onions and tomato paste; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring often so beans don't stick.
3. Remove kettle from heat, uncover, and let soup cool for 1-2 hours.
4. Using a blender or food processor, puree soup in small batches and return mixture to a soup pot. Reheat and serve with grated cheddar cheese and broken tortilla chips sprinkled on top, if desired. Yummy!

Serves 5 or 6
108 calories per cup without cheese