Easy One Pot Leftover Carnitas Soup with Black Beans
This soup is amazing! Seriously! If you find yourself with some leftover carnitas and you want to try something different, give this soup a try. It’s so easy to throw together, making it perfect for weekday dinner, or any time you don’t feel like putting in a whole lot of effort for an amazing result.
If you like pulled pork, you’ll love Carnitas. It’s basically pulled pork with spices, then sauteed in a bit of lard. Yum! Carnitas (meaning ‘little meats’ in Spanish) originated in the Michoacan state in Mexico. Since the size of the pork roast used to make carnitas is usually around 5-6 pounds, there is so much meat to make a variety of meals. Try my Crockpot Carnitas Recipe for this soup.
You can make carnitas on Sunday and have a few easy meals throughout the week. Plus, it freezes very well, meaning you have your meal prep for the next few weeks. Freeze in 3 cup increments, which is roughly a pound, making dinner planning a breeze.
Ingredients
- Carnitas definitely homemade
- Black beans canned or dried. If dried, be sure to soak the night before. When I use canned, I rinse the beans off since they are usually packed in a brine with high sodium content. Soaking the dry beans ensures there is no added sodium, but they are less convenient. You could also buy low sodium.
- Veggies Corn, poblano, onion, jalapeno pepper
- Broth Vegetable or chicken
- Heavy cream adds a delicious creaminess to this soup.
- Spices Cumin, chili powder, sumac, salt and pepper
- Lime zest don’t forget the lime zest!
- Olive oil
A note about poblano pepper- poblano pepper does have capsaicin in it even though it is not a spicy pepper. When you saute the poblano, or any spicy pepper, it releases capsaicin. This can be bothersome for some people. If this bothers you, you can always microwave the chopped pepper, then add it to the soup once you’ve added the liquid. Also, be sure to wash your hands after handling any spicy pepper.
How to Make Leftover Carnitas Soup
This soup uses just one pot, making cleanup a breeze! First, you will chop the poblano, onion, and serrano or jalapeno. Then, add them to a large stock pot along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute until translucent and they start to brown a bit.
Add the carnitas and another tablespoon of olive oil. The peppers and onions will continue to saute. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all of the crispy bits that form. This adds so much flavor to the dish!
While all of that is sauteeing, open the cans of beans and rinse them in a strainer to get rid of most of the salt. Set them aside to drain. Add the corn to the pot and mix in with everything else. Let the corn saute for about 30 seconds. Continue to scrape the bottom of the pot as you go to keep everything from sticking and to mix in the crispy bits. Add the black beans and stir to incorporate. Add the 5 cups of broth, heavy cream, spices and lime zest and stir to incorporate.
Bring the soup to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes. I like to take a wooden spoon and smash some of the beans against the side of the pot to help thicken the soup a little bit.
Serve immediately! Top with sour cream, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese if desired. For an elevated experience, serve with some fresh homemade Cuban bread or Focaccia Bread.
This soup is so delicious! The carnitas, the beans, the spices, so good. And it’s so easy because it’s cooked in one pot. Cleanup couldn’t be easier unless you went to a restaurant.
Other Recipes to Try
If you like this soup, here’s a few more you might like to try:
Recipe Notes
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
No, I do not recommend freezing this soup. Cream based soups do not hold up well to freezing.
Yes! Be sure the meat is thawed out before you add it to the pot or it will water down the soup. Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator.
I have only used heavy cream in this recipe. If you’d like to replace it with a non-dairy option, you’ll want one with a lot of fat, like full fat coconut milk, or the soup will be a bit more watered down.
You could, but then it wouldn’t be carnitas soup. I’m sure it would still be delicious!
Easy One Pot Left Over Carnitas Soup with Black Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cups carnitas
- 2 15 ounce cans black beans
- 1 15 ounce can corn
- 1 poblano
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 serrano pepper, minced
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the onion, poblano and serrano. Drain the cans of beans and rinse them in a colander to remove the salt. Let them drain in the sink.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute until soft and translucent. Add another tablespoon of olive oil, then add the 3 cups of carnitas. Mix in with the vegetables and saute for 30 seconds, scraping the crispy bits from the bottom.
- Add the beans and corn to the pot, stir in with everything else.
- Add the 5 cups of broth and 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir to incorporate.
- Add the 2 teaspoons cumin, 1/2 teaspoon sumac, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir intermittently, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom. I use a wooden spoon to smash some of the beans on the side of the pot to help thicken up the soup a bit. Not too many as it's not a thick soup.
- Once the soup is done, enjoy topped with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, or even some crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this soup.
- Poblano peppers release capsaicin when sauteed. If this bothers you, you can microwave it instead to soften it.
Nutrition
About Author
This soup is such a comforting way to use up leftover carnitas. It’s cozy, easy to make, and full of flavor with the black beans and spices.