Sometimes some purse friendly, super cheap food is what you need – this is the perfect recipe for that week before payday when you’re trying to use up the contents of the cupboard rather than yet another pricy trip to the supermarket. A great comfort soup, as hot as you want it to be, perfect for these colder than expected early spring days. The blitzed beans give a smooth silky texture to the soup, but like many Mexican dishes, it’s all about the garnishing touches. Crunchy tortilla chips are great for texture, and I wouldn’t do this kind of soup without some lime, hot chilli sauce and coriander. The beauty of this is you can tailor each bowl to just how each person likes it.

Mexican Pinto Bean Soup (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)

serves 4

serves 4

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 sticks of celery, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Sprig of rosemary

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

Chilli flakes, to taste, I added a pinch so everyone could enjoy

1 tin tomatoes

2 cups soaked pinto beans

500ml stock

– Sweat the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary and garlic until softened but not browned

– Stir in the cumin, chilli flakes and smoked paprika and cook out for a couple of minutes

-Pour in the tinned tomatoes, beans and stock

– Simmer for 15-20 minutes until totally cooked through.

– Blitz to a silky smooth soup, then taste and season as desired.

– Serve topped with tortilla chips, fresh coriander, a squeeze of lime and a good dash of hot sauce.



