This soup is a New Years classic for me. I developed it six years ago and this recipe was one of the two published in the The Colourful Kitchen Cookbook, curated by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. A beautiful collection of nourishing, vibrant recipes for all skill levels.
I did quite a bit of research at the time and had found that there are many variations of this recipe. What I learned was, that the trick lies in the sofrito and the spices being used. There are various combinations of spices, so if you feel you are missing some oregano or anything else you usually like in your black bean soup, please feel free to add it. I even made a burrito style one, as my first version, which was pretty yummy. However, using smoked paprika did not work for me too much, as I wanted a more traditional soup. A burrito dish will follow soon though as it was too good, not to share.
Black beans have a higher plant protein content than any other bean, so they make a great post workout choice. Furthermore, like other beans, they are packed with gut health-promoting fibre, minerals phytonutrients. Black beans are in fact up there with blueberries and red cabbage when it comes to antioxidants and although black beans are quite high in starch, it mainly is the resistant type. It is not converted into sugars, but rather passes the digestive tract undigested, helping us to get trim and fit again after the Christmas party season.
Fresh coriander, garlic, chili, and lime, plus natural yogurt or kefir are a great combination to support your immune system and gut bacteria. They particularly love the garlic, fibre from the beans and the natural yogurt. Black beans also count as the top three foods for zinc, a mineral that is particularly needed for immune function, so you might want to cook a bigger batch.
Mexican black bean soup
Ingredients: ideally organic – serves 2
1x red chilli
1x red pepper – cut into 1-2 cm cubes
1x red onion – finely chopped
1x 150g cherry tomatoes – cut in half
2x clove of garlic – finely chopped
1x bay leaf
2x sprigs of thyme
2x TSP Mexican spice or chilli con carne spice mix (pls extra for seasoning)
1/2 TSP of cinnamon
3x sprigs of coriander
2x fresh limes (unwaxed)- zest of one, juice of two
2x 400g black beans (canned) – drained
400 ml vegetable stock
2-3 TBS of organic, natural yogurt or Kefir
1x ripe avocado-cut in slices
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Method:
1. De-seed and finely slice half the chilli for the salsa, the other half is for the soup. Mix the spice mix with cinnamon.
2. Heat 1 TBS of olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized pot. Keep 1/2 TBS of the onions for the salsa. Fry the rest together with the red pepper for 4-5 min.
3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, spice mix, chilli and simmer covered at low heat for 10 min.
4. In the meantime set aside a few coriander leaves for garnish, and finely chop the rest including the stems. Mix the lime juice, zest, chopped coriander, red onion, sliced chilli, and a pinch of salt into the salsa.
5. After 10 min, add beans and vegetable stock to the pot and simmer at medium heat for 15-20 min. Season to taste with 1-2 TSP of lime salsa, spice mix, salt and pepper.
6. Remove thyme sprigs, before blending the soup with a handheld blender, so that it is creamy but still chunky. If you do not like it spicy, remove the chilli before blending.
7. Then cut the avocado in half, remove the stone with a teaspoon, then using a tablespoon scoop out the flesh and cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl and drizzle with some lime salsa. This will add flavour and prevent them going brown.
Serve the soup topped with 1 TBS of natural yoghurt or kefir , avocado slices, lime salsa and fresh coriander leaves.
Enjoy and wishing you a very Happy and exciting New Year full of adventures
Diana
xx
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