Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Sopa de Frijol
389 kcal a serving, against 472 for the traditional version. That is 83 kcal off, or 18%, with 24.1g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours plus soaking.
What the traditional version is
Dried black beans cooked until soft, then heavily fried in smoking lard with chopped onions and garlic. The rich mixture is blended into a thick puree, thinned slightly with the bean cooking liquid, and served steaming hot with full-fat soured cream and crumbled queso fresco.
What changed, and what each change costs
50g of lard swapped for 10g of vegetable oil
Lard is essentially pure fat. Using just enough vegetable oil to sweat the onions removes that massive fat payload while keeping the savoury base.
What it costs you. You lose the deep, porky background note that lard brings to Mexican cooking. It's the first compromise you'll notice, because the soup feels significantly less coating on the tongue.
100g of soured cream swapped for 100g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Soured cream is dense with fat. Swapping to a fat-free yoghurt strips that fat out while retaining the cold, acidic contrast the hot soup desperately needs.
What it costs you. Fat-free yoghurt is sharper and lacks the luxurious, melting quality of real soured cream. It sits heavily on top of the soup rather than melting beautifully into the broth.
100g of queso fresco reduced to 50g
Halving the amount of cheese cuts a significant volume of fat without removing the garnish entirely.
What it costs you. You get less salty, crumbly texture in every spoonful. You'll have to ration your cheese carefully as you eat.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 472 | 389 |
| Protein | 22.4g | 24.1g |
| Fat | 17.9g | 6.5g |
| Saturated fat | 8.2g | 2.3g |
| Carbohydrate | 57.7g | 60.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.7g | 6.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is a deeply comforting bowl of food, but Call it a sharper, leaner dinner rather than a rich, lard-laced canteen staple and you'll be about right. You give up the heavy mouthfeel of the traditional method. You get a bowl that sits much lighter on the stomach. The yoghurt provides the necessary acidic hit, and the chillies bring an earthy warmth. It's a fantastic soup that treats the beans with absolute respect, even if it lacks the heavy richness of the original.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback