Spicy Chili Bean Soup Recipe

This 'complete meal' soup certainly doesn't need salt to bring out the full flavor of the ingredients.

Recipe : Spicy Chili Bean Soup

Ingredients :

90ml / 3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

15ml / 1 tbsp ground cumin

10ml / 2 tbsp ground paprika

1 red or green chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

225g / 80z minced beef

790g / 1.75 lb canned tomatoes, chopped

860ml / 1.5 pints chicken or vegetable stock

90g / 3 oz tomato puree

5ml / 1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

140ml / 1/4 pint beer

freshly ground black pepper

120g / 4 oz each of canned red kidney beans, chick peas, and white pinto beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

Method :

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until they become transparent. Stir in the cumin, paprika and chili pepper. Increase the heat and cook quickly for 30 seconds, stirring all the time. Add the meat and cook until lightly browned, breaking up any large pieces with a fork. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the stock, tomato puree, oregano, bay leaf, beer and ground pepper. Stir well, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for approximately 50 minutes, checking the level of liquid several times during the cooking and adding more water if the soup seems too dry. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the drained beans, stirring them in to mix well.

Cook's tip - If you cannot buy canned beans and chick peas, use 60g / 2 oz each of dried beans. Soak them overnight and cook thoroughly for 1 hour before using in this recipe.

Serving idea - Serve with a mixed garnish of chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped spring onions and cubed avocado which has been sprinkled with lemon juice.

Serves 4-6

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