Bean soup with tomato salsa, roasted corn and fried tortilla chips
This hearty Mexican vegetable and bean soup is a classic. Plus, it’s vegan if you omit the soured cream.
Ingredients
For the bean soup
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- dash oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, chopped
- 1 jalapeño chilli, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes or 400g/14oz ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 200g/7oz black beans from a tin, drained
- 200g/7oz kidney beans from a tin, drained
- 200g/7oz pinto beans, from a tin, drained
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander stalks
- 500ml/18fl oz vegetable stock
- 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked
For the tortilla chips
- dash oil
- 4 small soft flour tortillas
For the tomato salsa
For the roasted corn
- 1 corn on the cob
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
- pinch chilli flakes
- 1 lime, juice only
- 100ml/3½fl oz soured cream, to serve (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the bean soup, ground the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar to make a powder.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, garlic, chilli and ground spices for 10 minutes. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, beans and coriander stalks. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the vegetable stock and cook a little longer. Taste, season and stir in the oregano.
To make the fried tortilla chips, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the tortillas until crisp.
To make the tomato salsa, mix the tomato salsa ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
To make the roasted corn, preheat the grill to high (Alternatively, preheat a grill pan to high.) Add the corn and cook, turning often, until charred all over – about 10 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, carefully remove the kernels from the corn. You may need to use a clean tea towel to hold it steady if the corn is still hot. Mix with the jalapeño, chilli flakes and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the bean soup in bowlsand place the whole fried tortillas onto serving plates and top with the salsa, corn and the sour cream.
