Mexican Minestrone

https://www.jamieoliver.com/Loaded with vegetables and plant powered fibre, my next twist on Jamie Oliver’s “10 recipes to save your life” is a Mexican Minestrone. It may be a soup, but trust me this is no starter!

As part of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I was one of 10 people selected world-wide to put my spin on 10 of Jamie’s favourite staple recipes. This is #7, my twist on Jamie’s ‘Minestrone’

This Mexican minestrone is a hearty, veggie-packed soup that brings a fresh twist to classic minestrone with smoky spices and a hint of spice. Loaded with beans, veggies, and a quick homemade guacamole topping, it’s a wholesome dish that’ll warm you up and keep you full. Perfect for an easy family dinner or a quick, healthy lunch.

Health benefits

The massive variety of seasonal vegetables combined with black beans is enough to make this Mexican Minestrone a very healthy, fibre, vitamin and mineral loaded meal. The protein and fibre from the beans help keep you full and energised. The addition of fresh guacamole brings healthy fats, making this a balanced and satisfying meal. If you use a homemade bone broth for the stock, then you are going to derive even more nutrition from this minestrone. For more about the healing powers of bone broth, see here.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need diced onions, sliced celery, smoked paprika, ground cumin, a few drops of Tabasco (optional), sea salt, black pepper, garlic, diced carrots, your choice of stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable), tinned diced tomatoes, diced zucchini, diced red capsicum, black beans (drained and rinsed), seasonal greens like spinach or kale, and fresh coriander (cilantro) for serving. The quick guacamole topping is made with a large avocado, natural full-fat yogurt, a squeeze of lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

How to make this Mexican minestrone soup

In a large pot, add a splash of olive oil and sauté the onion and celery over medium heat until they start to soften. Stir in the paprika, cumin, and sea salt, letting the spices cook until fragrant. Add the Tabasco (if using), garlic, and carrots, cooking for another couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the zucchini, capsicum, and black beans, letting everything simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are tender. For the guacamole, simply mash the avocado and mix it with yogurt, lime juice, and seasoning. Stir in the greens at the end until just wilted.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve your Mexican minestrone hot, topped with a dollop of guacamole and fresh coriander leaves. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. To keep guacamole fresh, store it in an airtight container with a little extra lime juice on top to prevent browning.

Vary Mexican minestrone to suit your needs

For veggie-fussy kids, try puréeing part or all of the soup. Make it vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock and skipping the yogurt in the guacamole. For a legume-free option, omit the beans. If you’re avoiding garlic and onions, substitute with finely chopped fennel and add a little extra cumin and chili flakes.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

For more delicious, easy to make healthy soups, click HERE.

Mexican Minestrone

Prep 20 minutes minutes

Cook 30 minutes minutes

Total 5 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This plant powered Mexican Minestrone is more a healthy, hearty meal than a starter. It's a delicious twist on the classic.

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Ingredients

• 2 onion/s - diced
• 2 stick/s celery - finely sliced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 drop/s tabasco - to taste (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• 2 clove/s garlic - finely diced
• 2 carrot/s (large) finely diced
• 1 ltr stock or broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
• 800 g diced tinned tomatoes (2 cans)
• 1 zucchini/s - diced
• 1 red capsicum/s (red pepper), diced
• 2 can black beans - drained and rinsed
• 60 g greens (spinach, kale, silver beet, chard) - whatever's in-season (2 cups approx.)
• ½ bunch/s fresh coriander leaves - to serve

Quick guacamole

• 1 avocado/s (large)
• 1 tbsp natural, Greek or coconut yoghurt
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• ½ lime/s (small) juice

Method

• In a large pot, add a splash of olive oil and sweat the onion and celery over a medium heat, covered for 5 minutes or until starting to soften.
• Add the paprika, cumin and sea salt and stir for a few minutes until you smell the spices.
• Add the optional tabasco, garlic and carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Now add the stock and tomatoes and bring to a slow simmer.
• Add the zucchini, capsicum and black beans and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning and spiciness.
• Make your guacamole by mashing your avocado and mixing through the yogurt, seasoning and lime juice.
• Lastly add the greens and cook until they are just wilted (only a few minutes).

Serve

• Serve immediately topped with a dollop of guacamole and fresh coriander leaves.

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.

Store

• Store soup in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
• Store guacomole in an airtight container (squueze over extra lime juice) in the fridge.

Grab Bag Formula Method

• If you've done the **Grab Bag Formula Short Course, this is the method to convert this recipe...
• Place all your prepared ingredients (except the greens, coriander and guacamole) into the Grab Bag.
• Carefully seal your Grab Bag. I close most of the seal then press out as much air as I can then complete the seal. Place the Grab Bag in the freezer.
• To cook, remove the Grab Bag from the freezer, place on a baking tray and thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Tip the contents of the Grab Bag into a large oven proof dish (with a tight fitting lid) or Dutch oven. It may still be a bit frozen; that’s okay.
• Place the lid on the pot, set your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced) and cook for 2 hours.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning and spiciness. Lastly add the greens and cook until they are just wilted (only a few minutes).
• ** The Grab Bag Formula Short Course is available to purchase for just AU$46 HERE.

  OR

  If you are a full-access Well Nourished Family member, the course is included in your membership and you can access in the members portal - HERE.

Variations

Veggie fussy kids

You can always puree part or all of the soup - out of sight out of mind works for many kids.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Choose vegetable stock, omit the yoghurt from the guacamole.

Legume-free

Omit the beans.

Garlic and onion-free

Replace the onion with one small fennel bulb, finely chopped. Replace the garlic  with a tsp of cumin powder and a pinch of chilli flakes. 

 

I'd love to hear how you like this Mexican Minestrone? Post a comment below and let me know.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

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