RECIPE : Spicy Mexican Bean Soup

This tasty homemade soup is quick, simple and inexpensive to make and will feed a family of 4 quite happily. With a nod towards chili con carne, it incorporates all the elements of a tasty Mexican dish, with a touch of spice, into a yummy soup perfect for dunking your tortilla chips into.

• small can of sweetcorn, drained
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1tsp mild chili powder (optional)
• 2 cartons of chopped tomatoes in chili and herbs (or similar)
• 2 cans of mixed beans in mild chili
• 350ml of vegetable stock made with 1 cube
• pinch of pepper
• bag of tortilla chips

Warm some oil in a large saucepan; while it's heating chop the garlic cloves and then add them into the pan along with 1 tsp of mild chili powder (if you want a slightly spicier soup). Fry them for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Add the beans, tomatoes and sweetcorn to the pan then pour over the vegetable stock (for a thinner soup, add more stock). Add a pinch of pepper then bring the pan to the boil. Allow the soup to simmer for 2-3 minutes then serve with tortilla chips and tuck in.