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Mexican Soup

 
 
 

Ingredients

Soup

  • 1 red capsicum

  • 1 brown onion

  • 1 carrot

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • Pinch cayenne chilli powders

  • Pinch coriander powder

  • 100g pinto beans (soaked)

  • 3 ripe tomatoes

  • 1 litre vegetable stock

  • 150g crushed tomatoes

  • 20 ml vegetable oil

Salsa

  • 1 bunch coriander

  • 1 avocado

  • 1 tomato

  • ½ red onion

  • Squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Corn bread

  • 220g cornmeal

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 cups buttermilk

  • 25g sugar

  • 20 ml vegetable oil for cooking

 
 

Method

  1. Gather together all the ingredients, you will need 1 frying pan that can go in the oven and one saucepan for this recipe. Heat the oven to 200c.

  2. Slice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Heat the sauce pan and after 30 seconds put in the onion and garlic with the vegetable oil. We need to keep stirring over a low heat until the onions are clear but not brown. Chop the rest of the soup vegetables into malteser sized pieces and add to the pot. Stir occasionally until the vegetables are bright and shiny. Sprinkle in the coriander powder and cayenne pepper, the pinto beans and finally add the stock and crushed tomatoes. Once the soup reaches a simmer turn it onto low.

  3. While the soup is cooking scoop out the avocado and chop into little pieces. Cut off the stalks from the coriander and add them to to the soup pot ( they taste delicious!) pick all the leaves from the coriander and ad to the avocado. Finely chop the onion - this is called brunoise in french and the tomato. Mix all the salsa ingredients together. The lemon juice will stop the avocado going brown.

  4. Mix together all the ingredients for the corn bread except the vegetable oil and beat smooth. Heat the frying pan for 30 seconds and add the oil. Pour the batter into the pan and put the pan in the oven. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Check to see if the bread is cooked by sticking a small knife in and pulling it out. If the knife is clean the breads ready, if not put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes.

  5. Taste the soup and add some salt and pepper- be careful it’s hot. Tip the bread out of the pan onto a cooling wire or board.  Allow to cool for 2 minutes then either cut of rip the bread into pieces.

  6. Ladle the soup into bowls and spoon some of the salsa on top. Serve with warm corn bread.