Mexican Bean Soup

New Year's 2022. Five years sober. I note this without ceremony, without announcement. I note it the way you note the anniversary of a decision that changed everything: privately, with intention, with gratitude that does not require an audience. Five years of choosing the morning version of myself. Five years of the kitchen instead of the other things. Five years of being present for the people who needed me present. That's the accounting. I'll keep going.

Diego is fifteen now. He's changed this year in ways that fifteen-year-olds change — the voice has settled, the shoulders have widened, the opinions have become more considered. He reads. He reads the way I didn't read at fifteen — not to impress, not because he's supposed to, but because he's genuinely interested in how things work. He came to breakfast last week carrying a book about offensive line play and asked me if I'd read it. I had. We talked about it for an hour. This is not the conversation I expected to be having with my fifteen-year-old son. I'm grateful for the surprise.

The 2022 season will be my third full fall at Eldorado Prep. The program is established now. The expectations are established. Two state titles in three full seasons creates a kind of weight that is the opposite of pressure — it's more like trust. The community trusts that I know what I'm doing. I try to earn that trust every day because the moment you stop earning it is the moment it starts to erode.

Black-eyed peas for the new year, as always. With green chile, as always. Before noon, as always — Gloria's rule, Lisa's tradition, my table now. I made a big pot. Lisa called Gloria on FaceTime while we ate. Gloria watched us eat her peas from nine hundred miles away and told us we were doing it right. Close enough, Gloria. Always close enough.

Gloria’s rule has always been simple: the peas have to be eaten before noon, or the luck doesn’t count. I don’t know if I believe in the luck anymore — five years of sobriety taught me that luck is mostly just decisions made quietly in the dark — but I believe in the ritual, and I believe in the green chile, and I believe in making a pot big enough that the smell fills the whole house before Diego is even out of bed. This Mexican Bean Soup is as close as I can get to Gloria’s version from nine hundred miles away: smoky, a little spicy, deeply savory, and built to be shared with whoever shows up at your table on the first morning of a new year.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (4 oz) diced roasted green chiles
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)
Warm flour or corn tortillas, for serving

Instructions

Saute the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the spices. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and chili powder. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, to bloom the spices in the oil.
Build the soup. Add the black-eyed peas, black beans, diced tomatoes with green chiles, roasted green chiles, and broth. Stir to combine.
Simmer. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the flavors have melded and the broth has thickened slightly.
Finish and adjust. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed. If you prefer a thicker texture, use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to partially mash some of the beans directly in the pot.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve with warm tortillas on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mexican Bean Soup — Gloria’s Peas, My Table, Our New Year