CHILLI BEAN SOUP

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all, I hope you had a lovely break and enjoyed all the over indulging that goes with the festive season.  I certainly did and could be heard saying 'well, it's christmas' on many occasion.  But now is time to get back on track and start feeling positive about the new year ahead.  Don't worry, I know it's only the start of January and all the positivity about being healthy and owing weight will more than likely go out the wind before valentines day but I'm going to make the most of it while it lasts.  So the kick start things, here is a healthy but tasty soup recipe to get us going.

This recipe always goes down well in our house, we've been trying to be more veggie during the week and this ticks all the boxes. It's quick to make and cosy to eat.

The soup is accompanied by tortilla chips that act as croutons along with chopped onion, fresh coriander, grated cheese and sour cream that everyone adds to their portion as they eat.  My children love that bit, I think it's an opportunity to play with their food and get away with it.  You of course don't have to use all these extras and select the low 'light' versions if you do.

1 tbsp Oil

1 Large Onion chopped

2 Garlic Cloves crushed

1 tbsp Mild Chilli Powder

½ tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

400g Tin Chopped Tomatoes

420g Tin Borlotti Beans

410g Tin Kidney Beans

1 ½ pts Vegetable Stock

Large Bunch Fresh Coriander

Salt & Pepper to season

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions till soft, add the garlic and spices and cook for a further 3 minutes stirring all the while. Now add the tomatoes, beans and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove half the soup and whiz in a blender along with half the coriander. Return the blended soup to the pan, season and heat through.

Serve with the remaining coriander, tortilla chips, finely chopped red onion, grated cheese and sour cream.