Tex Mex Soup
In the words of Ned Stark, winter is coming. Never mind the White Walkers though, we've got man flu and tube delays to worry about. Luckily this rich and hearty vegan winter soup will give you that much-needed energy boost to face the cold snap, armed with a warming hint of spice and protein-packed beans. We also add a dollop of creamy, zingy guacamole on top to mellow out the spice, using our own homemade recipe.It makes a very tasty and healthy veggie lunch, or why not take things up a notch and serve it as a fun starter for a budget-friendly Mexican-inspired dinner party?
Serves
Ingredients
For the vegetables
<item-todo-done>1 red onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 carrot<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>20g coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 small chilli<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tomatoes good quality<item-todo-done>
For assembling the soup
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp ground coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp chipotle paste<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of black beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 200g can of sweetcorn<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 lime<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
To serve
<item-todo-done> heaped tbsp of guacamole - per person<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> coriander leaves - bunch<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat oven to 180℃ fan | Large stockpot/casserole pot | Fine grater | Baking tray | Boil kettle
Prepare your vegetables
- Peel and dice the onion, carrots and celery to similar size chunks (around 1cm)
- Pick the coriander leaves and rough chop
- Finely dice the coriander stalks and rough chop ¾ of the leaves, leaving the rest for garnish
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Deseed and fine dice the chilli
- Cut the pepper and tomatoes into 1.5cm chunks, deseeding the peppers
- Prepare the stock
Cook your vegetables and assemble the soup
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the onions, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir occasionally for 7-8 minutes, until softened
- Add the coriander stalks, garlic and chilli to the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant
- Add the ground coriander, cumin and smoked paprika, and stir for 1 minute
- Add the peppers and tomatoes and stir for 4-5 minutes, until starting to soften
- Add the beans (including the liquid in the can), the chopped tomatoes and chipotle paste to the pan, stir and simmer for 4-5 minutes
- Add 3/4 of the stock to the pan, fold it into the soup and leave to simmer and thicken for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock if more liquid is needed
- You want a chunkier, thicker consistency so may not need all the stock
While the soup simmers, prepare your other sides
- Make your Guacamole if making from scratch
Final soup seasonings
- Add the sweetcorn to the pan and stir into the soup
- Squeeze the lime juice into the pan, add ¾ of the coriander leaves and stir in
- Taste the soup and season to perfection with salt and pepper
To serve
- Spoon the soup into bowls, top with a good dollop of guacamole, handful of reserved coriander leaves and sprinkled some crushed tortilla chips on top (if using)