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Black Bean Soup with Pork Spine

Name: Black Bean Soup with Pork Spine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 bunch Epazote; 4 cloves Garlic; 800 g Pork spine/backbone; 0.5 Onion; 300 g Black beans; 2 Serrano chillies; 2 Lime

135 min (15 prep + 120 cook) Easy 6 servings Sur

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Hearty black bean soup with pork backbone and epazote. Flavour of the Mexican countryside.

About this recipe

Hearty black bean soup slow-cooked with pork backbone, epazote and serrano chilli. A humble and comforting dish from the Mexican countryside with extraordinary depth of flavour.

History & Origin

Caldo de frijol con espinazo is one of those dishes that define everyday cooking in rural Mexico. In farming areas of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla, pork backbone - one of the most economical parts of the animal - becomes the star of stews that are profoundly flavourful thanks to slow cooking. The backbone contains bone, marrow and small portions of well-seasoned meat that release all their collagen and flavour into the stock during long cooking. This natural gelatin gives the beans their creamy texture and the broth its particular body. Combined with black beans that absorb these flavours during hours of joint cooking, the result is greater than the sum of its parts. Epazote is the essential condiment of this dish. This Mexican aromatic herb, with its intense petrol-and-mint flavour, is the natural companion of black beans. Without epazote, the bean broth loses half its identity.

Estimated cost

£5.50

Total cost

£0.92

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

340

Calories

28g

Protein

30g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Soak 300g dried black beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain and rinse.
💡 If short on time, use tinned beans well rinsed and reduce cooking time to 40 minutes.
2
In a large pot, place the beans with 800g pork backbone pieces. Cover with 3 litres of water. Bring to the boil, skimming off the foam.
3
Add ½ onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 whole serrano chillies and salt. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 90 minutes until the beans are very tender.
💡 Slow cooking is key to allow the backbone to release all its flavour.
4
Add a bunch of fresh epazote. Cook for another 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
💡 Do not cook the epazote too long or it loses its aroma.
5
Serve in deep bowls with the backbone, broth and beans. Accompany with warm tortillas and lime to taste.
💡 The marrow from the backbone is a delicacy; scoop it out with a small spoon.