Really glad you liked it! I've not used masa for tamales in it, either. I keep Masienda masa on hand, which is ground for tortillas. And yes, smaller dumplings and do dimple the middle with your thumb or finger (Pati refers to the soup as "sopa de ombligo", or belly button soup because of the way she shapes the dumplings in the video).I made the this pinto bean soup this weekend. It's delicious! But with one twist: I added a dried Ancho chili. I prepared it by de-seeding it, slicing it, dry toasting it until blistered, soaking in hot water for 30 min, then blending to a puree with a little of the soaking water, then briefly sauteeing the puree in very hot oil. Then added to the pot right after the garlic. (Seems like a lot of work but is not at all onerous for a weekend meal, and now I have some extra Ancho puree for another use.) The chili adds a nice depth of flavor and a little spiciness.
I've made it with black beans as well, and it's really good. Don't skip the dumplings (and you can do all cilantro if you don't normally have mint.)
I didn't have tamale masa harina, so I used some P.A.N. arepa harina I had. The dumplings were a bit gluey, but that may be because I used the wrong harina. Or maybe they just weren't cooked through - the smaller ones were less gluey. The dumplings really are a nice addition. I'm eating the leftovers with a bit of extra queso fresco crumbled in and some diced avocado.
If I didn't mention it prior, the base soup (without the dumplings) freezes really well. Then you just have to make fresh dumplings.
I'll have to try with the ancho next time.
Statistics: Posted by mkc — Tue Feb 03, 2026 1:23 pm — Replies 1381 — Views 247899