Sticking with the Mexican theme, I made the following soup for lunch this week.  It was based on a pre-made soup I had bought in the supermarket the previous week.  A soup which had sounded great and smelt great but tasted disappointingly vinegary.  Knew it had promise though so set out to make my own version.

Attempt number one was nothing less than disasterous.  I added rice to the beans and stock then was far too liberal with the cayenne resulting in a sinus-destroying gloop.   Attempt number two was a total success though and has been feeding us at lunch times most days this week.

This is my entry for this month’s No Croutons Required event and as per Holler’s request, I would also like to offer a suggestion for an accompaniment.  A bowl of this served with a cheese and spring onion quesadilla is a perfect lunch.  It’s easy enough to make for one or two but special enough for company. 

Chilli Bean Soup

(serves 6 for lunch)

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 peppers – 1 red, 1 green – chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

2 tspn coriander powder

2 tspn cumin

1 tpsn cinnamon

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

400g tin kidney beans

200g chickpeas

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tblspn tomato puree

600ml stock

Fresh coriander

• Gently fry the onion in a splash of olive oil until just beginning to soften.
• Add the carrot, celery and peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute before adding the spices and stirring well to coat all the vegetables.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato puree and stock.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Serve with fresh coriander and cheese and spring onion quesadillas.

Quesadillas

Cheddar cheese, grated finely

Spring onion, chopped

Coriander, chopped (optional)

1 flour tortilla per person

A teeny bit of olive oil

• Heat an olive oil smeared non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat.
• Sprinkle cheese, spring onion and coriander on one half of a tortilla and fold.
• Cook folded tortilla for a couple of minutes on each side until cheese is melting and outsides of tortillas are golden.