Hearty Pinto Bean and Corn Chowder

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 tablespoons

Onion

1, diced

Garlic

3 cloves, minced

Celery

2 stalks, diced

Carrot

1, diced

Red bell pepper

1, diced

Pinto beans

2 cups, cooked or canned, rinsed and drained

Frozen corn

1 cup

Vegetable broth

4 cups

Dried thyme

1 teaspoon

Smoked paprika

1 teaspoon

Salt

to taste

Pepper

to taste

Heavy cream

1 cup

Fresh cilantro

for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking until the onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced celery, carrot, and red bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the pinto beans, frozen corn, vegetable broth, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend about half of the soup until it reaches a creamy consistency. Alternatively, transfer half of the soup to a blender, blend until creamy, then return it to the pot.
6. Pour in the heavy cream and stir well. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.
7. Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.