Black Bean Soup

This healthy spicy soup is from my favourite chef jamie oliver. I just made changes here and there. Added left overs at home and it was delicious.

Ingredients

2 red onions

2 cloves of garlic

2 sticks of celery

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1-3 fresh red chillies

½ a bunch of fresh coriander

olive oil

½ a bunch of fresh thyme

2 x 400 g tins of black beans

extra virgin olive oil

Cooked brown rice- small cup

Method

Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic, then trim and finely slice the celery. Deseed and finely chop the peppers and chillies. Pick the coriander leaves, then finely chop the stalks.

Drizzle a lug of olive oil in a large saucepan and place over a medium-low heat. Add  the chopped onion, garlic, celery, coriander  and peppers to the pan, then pick in the thyme leaves. 

The number of chillies is optional. jamie added only half a deseeded chilli to the original soup but for my family's Indian palate I added 3 red chillies with seeds in. It is certainly spicy but nice.Add the chilli and gently sauté the veggies for 15 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. 

Tip in both tins of black beans with their liquid, followed by 400ml of boiling water. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. 

Season, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until thickened and creamy. If it reduces too much, add a splash more water. 

take 1/4th of the soup out in a tall glass and blend it into a paste with hand blender. It helps to thicken the soup.

Add it back to the pan and add some left over cooked brown rice. Today I had some left over grilled chicken so I shredded and added it to the bowl while eating.

It is Yum on its own or with some bread/ tortillas.

Aubergine pasta

Easy vegetarian pasta sauce .can use it with any pasta shape or layer it for lasagne .

Ingredients

• Aubergine 1
• Dry soya mince - handful or according to taste
  
• Tinned tomatoes 400gm
• Salt
• Bay leaf and herbs
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Parmesan cheese/cheddar

Method

• Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil and gently warm chopped garlic making sure it doesn't get burnt.
• Add bay leaf and herbs of choice like Rosemary ,basil leaves
• Add chopped aubergine- small prices and cook until soft with some salt
• Boil a kettle with water and pour it over a bowl of soya mince to rehydrate it.
• Add the chopped tomatoes to the aubergine mixture and cook for 10 minutes
• After 5 minutes drain water and it to the pan with cook with aubergine ,tomato mixture.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. I added chilli powder to mine .
• Serve with pasta and cheese grated on top.