Spicy red pepper & bean SOUP

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Hi folks!!!How are you coping with the weather this time of the year?Have you had any snow yet?There is no sign of snow in Tamworth but is soooooo COLD!5C is like super, terribly cold,right?When I go out,all wrapped up,armed with a wool scarf,thick pair of gloves and furry earmuffs,it makes me think how I survived living in Poland for 20 years.Some winters temperature dropped even to -30C.-30!!!!!It didn’t matter how cold it was I would still have to march to school even if it meant walking through enormous snow drifts!It was fun!The snow was such a natural feature every winter, that I never heard people moaning about it.It was winter,it snowed and everyone thought it was normal.All the kids from the neighbourhood would be sliding from the hills on wooden sledges for hours.I mean like all day,every day.School,sliding,sleep…..repeat.We would get soaked,dash home,get change and slide again.Try to force me to poke my nose through the door now when is 5C….you have to be very convincing! 🙂

How not to love soups in this weather?It’s like a hug in a bowl.Last year this amazing soup was my favourite and I will always go back to that recipe.This year I made it’s devil sister-spicy,flavoursome and super nutritious red pepper & bean soup.It soooo damn good!I’ll be making it until Spring shows it’s face 🙂

 

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RECIPE:

serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
2 onions,peeled and cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves,peeled and sliced
1 chilli pepper(medium hot),chopped
3 carrots(2 if you use carrot from home made stock),sliced
2 red peppers,chopped
5 celery sticks(3 if you use celery stick from home made stock),chopped
6 cups (1.5 litre)vegetable stock
1 3/4 cups (300g) raw kidney beans,soaked overnight and cooked – it gives 4 3/4-5 cups (700g) cooked beans
7/8 cups (200g) tomato puree
sea salt and black pepper

STOCK:

6 cups (1.5 litre) water
1/3 (200g) celeriac root (medium sized)
2 celery sticks
1 big carrot
1 big parsnip
1 big onion

METHOD:

1.Wash the vegetables for the stock,place all the ingredients(except onion) in a medium pan and cover with water.Cut the onion in half and brown it lightly over the open fire over the hob.Place it in the pan.Bring it all to boil and let it simmer for around 30-40 minutes until all vegetables are soft.Sieve it, putting the veg aside.(You can use carrot and celery stick in this recipe-if you wish you can use all vegetables from this stock really).

2.In the meantime,heat oil in a large saucepan,add onion,garlic and chilli pepper and fry for few minutes until soft.

3.Add raw carrots and celery and fry for 5 minutes.Now add peppers and cook for couple of minutes.

4.Stir in vegetable stock and tomato puree.Season with salt and pepper.Bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes

5.Add beans(and chopped celery and carrot from home made stock)and cook for further 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

6.Serve with fresh parsley.

Enjoy xxx
Bea