Maria Elena Machado's Sopa de Ombligo (Pinto Bean Soup with Masa Dumplings)
We found this recipe in Pati Jinich’s Treasures of the Mexican Table, from which it is adapted. In the headnote of her book, which features the fabulous home cooking the TV star found all over Mexico, Jinich explains this soup is from a tiny mountain town called Jinetes de Machado in Sinaloa. “Ombligo” means “belly button” — the soup is so named because each masa dumpling gets a belly-button like depression that catches all the flavor of the soup. Maria Elena Machado — the aunt of the gentleman who invited her to the town — taught her the soup.
For the beans called for in the recipe you can either make Frijoles de Olla using dried pintos, or use canned pinto beans; we tried both and while the version made with dried beans had deeper flavor, we didn’t feel the difference was significant — so go ahead and use the canned ones if you want to save time. In a note on the original recipe, Jinich writes that masa harina for tamales is preferred, but that masa harina for tortillas (which is finer) will also work. We used heirloom masa harina from Masienda, and because it’s not tomato season, we used chopped tomatoes. For the broth, we used chicken broth both times.
Serves 6.
Ingredients
For the soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped, or half a 15-ounce can chopped or crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 recipe Frijoles de Olla made with dried pintos, drained, reserving 1 cup of the broth, or 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained, plus 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
For the dumplings
1 cup masa harina
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco (about 28 g/1 ounce)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
For serving
Crema or sour cream for garnish (optional)
Sliced scallions and/or fresh mint leaves and/or cilantro leaves (optional)
Crushed dried chiltepín or chiles de árbol (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a big, deep soup pot over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium, add the onion, and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has softened and the edges are beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant and beginning to color. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick paste, about 5 or 6 minutes.
2. Add the beans with the 1 cup of their broth (if using homemade frijoles de olla) or with 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (if using canned pintos), along with four cups of the broth. Stir to combine, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. The beans should be completely soft and the broth thick and soupy. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, make the dumplings: Place the masa harina in a medium bowl, whisk in the salt, then stir in 3/4 cup water. When it starts to come together as a dough, knead it together. It should be a little dry, but hold together. If it doesn’t, add water a spoonful at a time, kneading after each addition, until it holds together. (If it’s too moist, sprinkle in a tablespoon of masa harina and knead that in.) Add the oil, queso fresco, cilantro and mint and knead it together until the dough is soft and homogeneous, about 1 minute. Set aside.
4. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until it is smooth; alternatively, transfer it in batches to the jar of a blender, blending until smooth then returning it to the pot. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.
5. To form the dumplings: Fill a bowl with warm water for moistening your hands. Wet your hands and form the dumplings one at a time: Scoop up enough masas to make a 1-inch ball, roll between your hands into a ball, and make a dimple in the middle with your thumb or finger, then gently drop into the soup. Once all the dumplings have been shaped and added to the soup, gently stir with a wooden spoon to make sure none are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cover partially and let the soup simmer very gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure it’s not boiling; if the dumplings are agitated too much, they may fall apart.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt as necessary. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl, if you like, with a swirl of crema or sour cream, and sprinkling on scallions, herbs and/or crushed chiles as desired.
Maria Elena Machado's Sopa de Ombligo (Pinto Bean Soup with Masa Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped, or half a 15-ounce can chopped or crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 recipe Frijoles de Olla made with dried pintos, drained, reserving 1 cup of the broth, or 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained, plus 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup masa harina
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 3 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco (about 28 g/1 ounce)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- Crema or sour cream for garnish (optional)
- Sliced scallions and/or fresh mint leaves and/or cilantro leaves (optional)
- Crushed dried chiltepín or chiles de árbol (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a big, deep soup pot over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium, add the onion, and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has softened and the edges are beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant and beginning to color. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick paste, about 5 or 6 minutes.
- Add the beans with the 1 cup of their broth (if using homemade frijoles de olla) or with 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (if using canned pintos), along with four cups of the broth. Stir to combine, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. The beans should be completely soft and the broth thick and soupy. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, make the dumplings: Place the masa harina in a medium bowl, whisk in the salt, then stir in 3/4 cup water. When it starts to come together as a dough, knead it together. It should be a little dry, but hold together. If it doesn’t, add water a spoonful at a time, kneading after each addition, until it holds together. (If it’s too moist, sprinkle in a tablespoon of masa harina and knead that in.) Add the oil, queso fresco, cilantro and mint and knead it together until the dough is soft and homogeneous, about 1 minute. Set aside.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until it is smooth; alternatively, transfer it in batches to the jar of a blender, blending until smooth then returning it to the pot. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.
- To form the dumplings: Fill a bowl with warm water for moistening your hands. Wet your hands and form the dumplings one at a time: Scoop up enough masas to make a 1-inch ball, roll between your hands into a ball, and make a dimple in the middle with your thumb or finger, then gently drop into the soup. Once all the dumplings have been shaped and added to the soup, gently stir with a wooden spoon to make sure none are sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cover partially and let the soup simmer very gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure it’s not boiling; if the dumplings are agitated too much, they may fall apart.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt as necessary. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl, if you like, with a swirl of crema or sour cream, and sprinkling on scallions, herbs and/or crushed chiles as desired.
