Soups & Starters
Soups & Starters
Lemony bean soup
A lovely recipe to make for lunch, with super-easy flatbreads on the side
A nice hearty soup like this is ideal as the weather turns colder, and I like to serve it with flatbreads on the side. Homemade flatbreads can be a little dry, but this slightly unusual recipe ensures they stay lovely and moist - like a cross between a flatbread and a waffle
Ingredients
Serves 2
- FOR THE SOUP:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 tsp garam masala
- thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
- juice of an orange
- 500ml chicken (or vegetable) stock
- 200ml lower-fat coconut milk (half a standard size can)
- 400g can mixed beans (I use Sainsbury's Mixed Beans in Vinaigrette), drained
- Juice of half a lemon
- fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish
- half tbsp sumac (optional)
- FOR THE FLATBREADS:
- 100g self-raising flour
- half tsp salt
- 5 tbsp plain yogurt
- half tbsp olive oil
- handful of grated cheddar
Method
To make the soup, fry the onion and carrot in a little olive oil until the onion is soft. Then add the ginger and garam masala and cook, stirring, for another minute or so. Stir in the orange juice, stock and coconut milk. Blend with a stick blender until almost smooth. Return to the pan, stir in the beans and heat through. Serve scattered with coriander and sprinkled with sumac (if using).
To make the flatbreads, put the flour in a fairly large bowl with the salt, then stir in the rest of the ingredients to make a smooth, loose batter. Heat a little oil in a medium-sized pan, then spoon the batter into the pan and smooth down with a knife to form a round about 1.5cm deep. Cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until you can easily lift the edges with a spatula and the base is nicely browned, then flip over and cook on the other side for another 5 mins until browned. Tip out of the pan and cut into two triangles. Serve with the soup.
A Cook's Plot Tip
The flatbreads are great with grilled bacon and scrambled eggs for a weekend breakfast too. You can make them the night before, if you like, then keep them in the fridge overnight and reheat them in the toaster the next morning.
Sumac is a lovely lemony-tasting spice - you can find it in the spices aisles of most supermarkets