Start with 2 cups of pinto beans soaked overnight in a saltwater brine.
Chop 4 slices of bacon and saute in a large pot until crisp. Remove bacon and drain the grease, then return 2 tablespoons of grease to your pot.
Chop an onion (yellow or white will work) and saute until edges begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add brined pinto beans, 32 ounces of stock of your choice (I use homemade chicken stock), and taste for salt. If needed, add powdered beef bouillon. I know it sounds weird, but it really does work. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about an hour with occasional stirring. Begin testing the beans for tenderness; you may need to add another 1/2 hour of simmering if the beans aren’t where you want them.
When beans are tender, add two ladles of the beans and broth to your blender jar. Add to the blender 1 14.5 ounce can of whole tomatoes, a handful of cilantro (optional), 1/2 cup of pickled jalapenos and 1/3 cup of the jalapeno vinegar brine. Blend until smooth, the add to your pot of beans. Stir and let simmer until the soup thickens. Stir in reserved bacon.
Give it a try, barley is in my opinion easier to cook with than rice, they have directions on the bag if you don’t want it made in a soup or stew. Townsends youtube channel has a few 17th and 18th century recipes for barley gruel [better than it sounds] and barley water [a beverage] that are also interesting. You can make cabbage soup with chicken or beef or pork stock instead of plain water as well - or vegetarian or vegan stock for that matter =)
Don’t knock it until you try it. Think of it as nonalcoholic and not hopped beer. In Britain it is commonly dosed with mint and lemon and sweetened to taste, taking advantage of the minerals and vitamins extracted from the barley.
Egg drop soup - two eggs, a can of chicken broth, and a wee bit of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and cornstarch. It makes a good light meal or between-meals snack especially on cold days, and if I want to make a full meal out of it I can add some frozen wontons or potstickers.
Homemade bread and soup is cheap. However, with Covid gym closures I am eating less bread and today’s temperature with Humidex is 36C (97F), with 50 kph (30 mph) winds. In Canada, this is very unusual. I am not eating too much soup!
Never made it in a pressure cooker, though I do have a 6 qt one I use for other stuff. It should fit in a 6 qt - put all the solids in and at least cover with liquid. You can make it thiner and less stewlike if you like.