Something for the Weekend: Mexican Black Bean Soup & Toasted Tortilla Segments (Vegan / Dairy-free)

Mexican Black Bean Soup

Serves 6-8
Hands on time: 10 minutes    Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
¼ -½ tsp chilli powder (use mild chilli powder for children)
1 large carrot, diced
1 large sweet potato, diced
2 x 400ml / 14oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained (about 2 cups cooked beans)
130g / 4½ oz / 1 cup sweet corn
1 x 400ml / 14oz can chopped tomatoes
800 ml / 27 fl oz / 3 1/3 cups vegetable stock
cayenne pepper (for a spicy kick)
handful coriander (cilantro), chopped
red bell pepper or chilli, finely chopped (for garnish)

Method

1.  Gently heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, sweet potato, cumin, paprika and chilli powder. Cover with a lid and leave to sweat on a very low heat for 10 minutes.  Add the beans, sweet corn, chopped tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are tender.  Allow the soup to cool slightly, then pour half the soup into a blender and blend smooth.  Return it to the pan with the remaining soup and gently heat through.  (Note: small children may prefer their soup completely smooth. In this case, simply add more soup to the blender).  Season the soup to taste.  If you’d like to give the soup a spicy kick, first remove any children’s portions then add a pinch of cayenne pepper and more chilli powder, if desired.
2. Serve in warm bowls with a sprinkling of coriander and red pepper or chilli for garnish.  This soup is delicious served with a side serving of toasted tortilla segments and/or corn bread.

Toasted Tortilla Segments
These crispy tortilla segments are a great accompaniment for many dishes.  Stored in an airtight container, they will keep for at least a week.

Serves: 4
Hands on time: 5 minutes    Cooking time: 5 minutes    Ready in: 5 minutes

Ingredients
2-3 wholegrain tortillas
Paprika or cayenne pepper, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas 5.
2. Place the tortillas on a wire rack. If you wish, you can sprinkle them with paprika or cayenne pepper, for a spicy kick.  Bake for 7 minutes or so, until lightly browned.  Watch closely towards the end of the cooking time as they can burn quickly!  Remove from the oven and slice immediately into wedges.  As they cool, the tortillas will crisp up.  Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.