When the winter draws in, I just love getting creative with all kinds of soups. They are just what I need to keep me warm and cosy, not just in the evenings, but they are also ideal for taking to work in a thermos. This delicious Spiced Black Bean and Roasted Tomato Soup is just perfect for wintery nights.
I discovered this tomato soup, which has become a go-to meal for me, after having bought too many tomatoes from my local farmers market. I first just tried blending them up with garlic and spices, then cooking it on the stove, which was yummy, but didn’t quite hit the spot. I then started roasting my tomatoes, and the difference was just amazing. The flavour intensifies and adds a sweetness that is just delicious.
Pretty much any veggies can work in a soup, and I also love adding beans for extra protein and energy. Black beans are one of my favourite pulses; very filling and they go so well with most spices. But you really can use any pulse you want – sometimes it just depends what you have in the cupboard! Lentils, chickpeas, butter beans and cannellini beans will also be delicious in this soup.
I usually use a powdered vegan bouillon or stock cube, and wish for my own homemade stock (which is delicious but takes a while to make) but have recently discovered this amazing stock paste by our friends 9 Meals from Anarchy. A teaspoon of that mixed into 250 mls of water gives a delicious home-made flavour that is hard to beat. (P.S. We have loved their stock SO MUCH it is included in this November's Vegan Larder Subscription box!)
This soup is so quick to make, it only takes half an hour, making it perfect for a mid-week pick you up. Plus if you freeze some, you can have it ready for when it's cold and horrible and you're starving from being out all day!
To spice it up I use smoked paprika, mostly because I seem to put it in anything and it gives the most delicious smoky flavour, cumin and ground coriander. Don't panic if you don't have those in, you can chose any herbs and spices you want – oregano also goes so well with tomatoes.
To serve, drizzle with olive oil & crusty bread.
Fresh tomato and black bean soup, with olive oil drizzle
Ingredients
- 7 fresh tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 red pepper, chopped into around 4 big chunks and deseeded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder or paste (we love 9 Meals from Anarchy, but use your fave)
- 250 ml water
- 1 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)
- Few sprigs fresh parsley or coriander (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C.
- Put the chopped tomatoes and pepper on a baking tray and pour over the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the veggie are cooked through and the edges are going just a little bit crispy.
- Once done transfer the veggies to a blender (if your blender can’t take heat, wait for them to cool down a bit first) and add the garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and coriander. Blend until smooth – around 20 seconds.
- Pour the contents of the blender in large pan. Add the stock powder and water and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the black beans. Heat the soup for 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to infuse and the garlic to cook.
- To serve, garnish with fresh parsley or coriander, and drizzle with olive oil.
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