Chicken tortilla soup question

[pippilongstocking]

Has anyone made this before. I want to make it but all the recipes I see call for black beans. I have never been able to find black beans here. Can I substitute another type of bean? Kidney beans or something? Or just leave them out? Would it still be good?
any suggestions would be appreciated! 

[imimahoney]

Really, no canned black beans anywhere? Kidney or even pinto would be fine IMO.

[rjamz]

Pinto beans maybe?

I'm so surprised that you can't find black beans! That's so odd. It's such a staple here.

[ruby412]

That's so strange! Not even dry black beans? They're so common here!

I think @sprinkles makes this soup?? I'm pretty sure I got the crockpot recipe from her.

[pippilongstocking]

I have looked everywhere for black beans and I can never find them! Hmm, there is a different store I might check but the regular stores don't seem to carry them. I know it's weird.
Thanks for the other suggestions, ill see if I can find pinto beans.

I wonder if @starbound has ever found black beans?

[Deleted]

Aug 6, 2013 16:59:52 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Pinto beans maybe?

I'm so surprised that you can't find black beans! That's so odd. It's such a staple here.

Not enough Mexicans here my DH is always lamenting the lack of bean selection.

pippilongstocking I have found them in Foodland which is an SA supermarket. You'd have to find a specialty or smaller privately run shop I think. GL!

[Deleted]

Oh and I only found dry.

[rjamz]

Aug 6, 2013 18:07:09 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Aug 6, 2013 16:59:52 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Pinto beans maybe?

I'm so surprised that you can't find black beans! That's so odd. It's such a staple here.

Not enough Mexicans here my DH is always lamenting the lack of bean selection.

pippilongstocking I have found them in Foodland which is an SA supermarket. You'd have to find a specialty or smaller privately run shop I think. GL!

Actually that was my theory - we have such a huge Hispanic population here and black beans are a large part of their cuisine that it's become integrated into what we eat.

[pippilongstocking]

Aug 6, 2013 18:07:09 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Aug 6, 2013 16:59:52 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Pinto beans maybe?

I'm so surprised that you can't find black beans! That's so odd. It's such a staple here.

Not enough Mexicans here my DH is always lamenting the lack of bean selection.

pippilongstocking I have found them in Foodland which is an SA supermarket. You'd have to find a specialty or smaller privately run shop I think. GL!

Boo to no black beans!
i am going to check Harris farm market today. Maybe they will have them. Do you have that store?
i think you can order them from USAfoods but I need to make the soup on Sunday to bring to school on Monday so that won't work this time. 
If I ever order from there ill get a couple cans to have around the house. 

[rileym2010]

Here's mine, no beans: www.tarasmulticulturaltable.com/chicken-tortilla-soup/

[thedahliharpa]

We make a few different types of chicken tortilla soup and for one of the recipes we actually used canned refried beans. It makes the broth thick and is really good.

[Deleted]

Aug 6, 2013 17:18:46 GMT -5 ruby412 said:

That's so strange! Not even dry black beans? They're so common here!

I think @sprinkles makes this soup?? I'm pretty sure I got the crockpot recipe from her.

Yep I do make this! But I cant believe you cant find black beans! Thats so weird! I know in our store, the black beans are found next to the taco/mexican stuff, not with the other beans...

[pippilongstocking]

Aug 6, 2013 18:31:14 GMT -5 rileym2010 said:

Here's mine, no beans: www.tarasmulticulturaltable.com/chicken-tortilla-soup/

Thanks! That looks great! Is it thick? I might give it a try for us before I make it for everyone at school!

[pippilongstocking]

Aug 6, 2013 18:55:23 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

We make a few different types of chicken tortilla soup and for one of the recipes we actually used canned refried beans. It makes the broth thick and is really good.

Do you have the recipe for this one? We do have refried beans here!

[rileym2010]

Yeah, the cheese thickens it up a bit. Don't use pre-shredded Cheddar or it may clump.

[shevacc]

I've never made chicken tortilla soup with black beans. But the thought of not being able to find them does seem odd to me .

[thedahliharpa]

Aug 6, 2013 21:11:16 GMT -5 pippilongstocking said:

Aug 6, 2013 18:55:23 GMT -5 thedahliharpa said:

We make a few different types of chicken tortilla soup and for one of the recipes we actually used canned refried beans. It makes the broth thick and is really good.

Do you have the recipe for this one? We do have refried beans here!

I no longer have the actual recipe but basically it's a shortcut soup and a way we use leftovers from a store bought rotisserie chicken.

Shredded left over chicken
1 fat can of refresh beans
1 fat can of stewed tomatoes
About 6 cups of chicken stock depending on how brothy you want it.
*bring all of the above to a boil, let simmer for 30 minutes or so add more broth if you want
*add a bag of frozen corn and simmer until corn is cooked.

We put broken tortilla chips in the bottoms of the bowls and garnish with avocado and in a former life cheese. If we have squash around we will add it before the corn.

I have another labor intensive recipe somewhere but ain't nobody always got time for that!

[Deleted]

Aug 6, 2013 22:01:29 GMT -5 shevacc said:

I've never made chicken tortilla soup with black beans. But the thought of not being able to find them does seem odd to me .

Unfortunately there are PLENTY of things we can't find here.  Esp. mexican related items.  It drives my (Mexican) DH nuts.

Whenever we go back to the US I am in awe of the selection in the shops.  I love it.

[devotchka]

Aug 6, 2013 23:48:38 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Aug 6, 2013 22:01:29 GMT -5 shevacc said:

I've never made chicken tortilla soup with black beans. But the thought of not being able to find them does seem odd to me .

Unfortunately there are PLENTY of things we can't find here.  Esp. mexican related items.  It drives my (Mexican) DH nuts.

Whenever we go back to the US I am in awe of the selection in the shops.  I love it.

Yes! My Stepdad lived there for a few years bc of a great job he got when he was unemployed for a few years, and he was soooo frustrated bc he grew up in SoCal eating mexican food every week and that was the one major thing that was unavailable (the one restaurant near him was not very good!) I swear part of the reason he came back to the US is for the Mexican food. Although he lived in Melbourne and we visited and the food there was amazing!