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’
Health benefits
The massive variety of seasonal vegetables combined with black beans is enough to make this Mexican Minestrone a very healthy, fibre loaded 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.
Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.
This plant powered Mexican Minestrone is more a healthy, hearty meal than a starter. It's a delicious twist on the classic.
- 2 onions , diced
- 2 sticks celery , finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon smokey paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin , ground
- A few drops of tabasco , to taste (optional)
- Good pinch sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, finely diced
- 1 litre stock or bone broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- 1 zucchini (courgette), diced
- 1 red capsicum (red pepper), diced
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups of chopped, in season greens (spinach, kale, silver beet, chard)
- Guacamole and coriander leaves, to serve
- 1 large avocado (or 2 small)
- 1 tablespoon natural yoghurt
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- Juice half a small lime
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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.
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Add the paprika, cumin and sea salt and stir for a few minutes until you smell the spices.
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Add the optional tabasco, garlic and carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.
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Now add the stock and tomatoes and bring to a slow simmer.
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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.
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Make your guacamole by mashing your avocado and mixing through the yogurt, seasoning and lime juice.
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Lastly add the greens and cook until they are just wilted (only a few minutes).
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Serve immediately topped with a dollop of guacamole and fresh coriander leaves.
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.
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