Spicy Mexican Bean and Vegetable Soup

This is a spicy tomato based soup, loaded with fresh vegetables, sausage and two kinds of beans. This soup came together in well under an hour and it was a delicious and simple meal to start our vacation. Arizona weather is all over the place these days. From 100+ days to the slightly chilly weather (just to clarify, anything under 65 qualifies as chilly for me!) at night, I realized today that I made everything from ice cream to soup this past week. Apparently, I can't decide what I'm in the mood for either.

I randomly decided to toss in a good amount of my favorite Mexican Spice Blend and I'm so glad that I did. I absolutely loved the heat and can't believe I hadn't thought of adding it to more soups this past year. I already have several ideas for dishes next winter, as I'm thinking that this will likely be the last of our hot soups this year.

Spicy Mexican Bean and Vegetable Soup

1 lb hot sausage

29 ounces petite diced tomatoes

16 ounces tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can

1 1/2 cups cooked light red kidney beans or 1 can

3 ears corn or 1 can

6 baby zucchini, about 3 cups 1/4" slices

4 cups baby spinach

8 cups beef broth or 8 cups water plus 1 heaping tablespoon Better than Bouillon (or beef bouillon)

2 tablespoon Mexican Spice Mix (reduce to 1 tablespoon for a less spicy version)

1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional: shredded cheese of your choice; Parmesan or Pecorino Romano work well, as does a Mexican Cheese blend

In a large pot over medium heat, cook and crumble the sausage. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and spinach. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the zucchini. Simmer about 10-15 more minutes, or just until the zucchini is barely tender. Add the spinach and stir to wilt. If desired, serve topped with the cheese of your choice. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

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