Black bean & anise soup with cherry tomato salsa & chorizo crisp | Good Food

50g butter
1 large white onion
finely chopped
3 celery stalks
finely chopped
1 whole star anise
1 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves
crushed
1 tbsp chipotle or adobo
roughly chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
(Mexican if you can get it)
1 tsp ancho chilli flakes
(optional)
570g jar black beans
drained and rinsed
750ml chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
75g chorizo
sliced

For the salsa

300g cherry tomatoes
quartered
½ small red onion
finely diced
½-1 jalapeño chilli
finely diced
small bunch of coriander
stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
1 large lime
juiced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To serve

soured cream
tortilla chips
(optional)

Method

step 1
Heat a medium casserole pan over a high heat, and when hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the onion, celery, star anise and salt. Cook for 10 mins until softened, then stir in the garlic, chipotle, oregano and ancho chilli flakes. Cook for 2-3 mins to soften the garlic before stirring in the black beans.
step 2
Pour in the stock and simmer gently for 20-25 mins, by which time the flavours of the ingredients will have worked their magic together. Remove from the heat and remove the star anise. Blitz the soup using a hand blender to get a lovely smooth purée. Season to taste.
step 3
Meanwhile, to make the salsa, toss all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt. The salsa should taste fresh, bright, sweet and sparkling. If it doesn’t, address this with more salt, lime or a pinch of sugar.
step 4
When ready to serve, warm the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, then add the chorizo slices. Fry for 5-7 mins until they have released their fat and are crisp. Divide the soup between your bowls and top with a dollop of soured cream, heaped teaspoons of salsa and a sprinkle of crisp chorizo and its oil. A handful of tortilla chips on the side to scoop up both the soup and the salsa is a lovely addition.