Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipe for spiced black bean and tomato soup

Another easy “dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow” recipe. This soup tastes even nicer the next day, and it’s perfect with some fancy tortilla chips on the side. The celery adds a lovely depth of flavour, but if you aren’t a habitual celery eater, it’s fine to leave it out – there’s no need to buy a bunch just for this recipe. I just so happened to have some spare in the fridge after hosting a children’s party, where it was, of course, roundly ignored.

Spiced black bean and tomato soup with avocado and lime

Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely sliced (optional)
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 heaped tsp freshly ground coriander seeds – avoid ready-ground coriander, because it tastes like despair
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli flakes, or more, according to taste
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed
400ml hot vegetable stock
The juice of 2 limes
Flaky sea salt, to taste
2 ripe avocados
1 handful fresh coriander, leaves picked

Put the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot on a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and fry for 20-30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the onion and celery, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, for six to seven minutes, until the vegetables are soft and turning translucent. Lower the heat, add the paprika, freshly ground coriander seeds, ground cumin and chilli flakes, then stir-fry for a minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes, black beans and stock, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover partly, then simmer for 20 minutes (if you have the time, leave it to simmer for up to 40 minutes, but you may need to top up the stock). Add the juice of one lime, then taste and adjust the salt as needed.

Peel, stone and chop up half an avocado per person, then dress with the remaining lime juice and a scattering of flaky sea salt (if you’re saving half the soup for the next day, don’t chop all the avocados at once – do this just before you serve).

Serve the soup in warmed bowls, topped with the chopped avocado and coriander.