A gently spiced, speedy vegetarian soup that makes a sumptuous light dinner, and is even better for lunch the next day
Rukmini IyerMon 7 Oct 2024 08.00 EDTShareAnother easy “dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow” recipe. This soup tastes even nicer the next day, and it’s perfect with some fancy tortilla chips on the side. The celery adds a lovely depth of flavour, but if you aren’t a habitual celery eater, it’s fine to leave it out – there’s no need to buy a bunch just for this recipe. I just so happened to have some spare in the fridge after hosting a children’s party, where it was, of course, roundly ignored.
Spiced black bean and tomato soup with avocado and limePrep 15 min Cook 30 min Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely sliced (optional)1 heaped tsp smoked paprika 1 heaped tsp freshly ground coriander seeds – avoid ready-ground coriander, because it tastes like despair 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp chilli flakes, or more, according to taste2 400g tins chopped tomatoes2 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed400ml hot vegetable stock The juice of 2 limesFlaky sea salt, to taste2 ripe avocados1 handful fresh coriander, leaves picked
Put the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot on a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and fry for 20-30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the onion and celery, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, for six to seven minutes, until the vegetables are soft and turning translucent. Lower the heat, add the paprika, freshly ground coriander seeds, ground cumin and chilli flakes, then stir-fry for a minute.
Try this recipe and many more on the new Feast app: scan or click here for your free trial.Add the chopped tomatoes, black beans and stock, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover partly, then simmer for 20 minutes (if you have the time, leave it to simmer for up to 40 minutes, but you may need to top up the stock). Add the juice of one lime, then taste and adjust the salt as needed.
Peel, stone and chop up half an avocado per person, then dress with the remaining lime juice and a scattering of flaky sea salt (if you’re saving half the soup for the next day, don’t chop all the avocados at once – do this just before you serve).
Serve the soup in warmed bowls, topped with the chopped avocado and coriander.
