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Bon Appétit

Mexican Beef Soup with Beans and Bacon

5.0

(4)

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Alex Lau

Quickly seared flank steak retains its pleasantly chewy integrity in this simple but nuanced brothy soup.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

4

tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed

4

serrano chiles, seeds removed

2

garlic cloves

6

cups homemade beef stock or low-sodium beef broth

½

cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

3

cups cooked Mayocoba beans or 3 pinto beans (from two 15-ounce cans), rinsed

4

slices bacon

8

chiles de árbol, seeds removed

2

tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

6

spring onions, halved lengthwise if large, or 1 medium white onion, cut into 8 wedges

1½

pounds flank steak

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Chopped white onion, sliced radishes, sliced avocado, and warm corn tortillas (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring tomatillos, chiles, garlic, stock, and ½ cup cilantro to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and add beans; keep warm.

    Step 2

    Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Let cool, then crumble.

    Step 3

    Toast chiles in bacon fat over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until just beginning to darken. Transfer to plate with bacon. Wipe out skillet or wash to remove any dark spots.

    Step 4

    Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium. Cook spring onions, cut side down, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with beans. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook until deep brown all over, about 5 minutes per side (it should be well browned on both sides but can be very rare in the center as it will cook more in the soup). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing against the grain about ¼" thick. Cut crosswise into 1" pieces. Add to soup; taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

    Step 5

    Serve soup topped with bacon, chiles, cilantro, white onion, radishes, and avocado, with tortillas alongside.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 690 Fat (g) 24 Saturated Fat (g) 7 Cholesterol (mg) 115 Carbohydrates (g) 52 Dietary Fiber (g) 2 Total Sugars (g) 4 Protein (g) 60 Sodium (mg) 1210
Explore Bon AppétitSoupSoups and StewsMexicanLatin AmericanSteakBeefMeatTomatilloVegetableBeanMainStarterSideGluten-Free
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Reviews (4)

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  • This is a really great soup! We will definitely make this again. I love all the contrast happening between the tart tomatillos and the smoky bacon, charred onions, toasty hot chiles, and pungent radish. For the sake of other home cooks who try this, the broth is not going to be a clear brown broth as pictured. Once you puree the stock with the serranos, garlic, tomatillos, and cilantro (step 1), it becomes a nice bright green that's still thin and a bit more opaque. I used the cilantro stems instead of the leaves for step 1. The stems have more flavor and it gives me more leaves for garnishing this soup or other uses. The only other thing I did differently was to add a teaspoon of salt in step 1 (I started with homemade unsalted beef stock).

    • Shaun C

    • Atlanta, GA

    • 11/28/2021