Preparation
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery and carrot with the salt and pepper for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and chilli powder and toast for about 30 seconds, stirring.
- Stir in the beans with their liquid, the chopped chipotle, adobo sauce and stock and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- Let the soup cool slightly. Purée half of it in a blender, or purée the whole soup halfway with a hand blender, then return to the pan and stir.
- Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with soured cream, avocado, coriander and lime wedges.
Drink with it
Dark beer · excellent match
Mexican dark lager (Vienna style) or Schwarzbier, cool
Roasted malt and mild sweetness mirror the earthy beans and carry the chipotle smoke, while the carbonation refreshes between spoonfuls.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecuePale lager · good match
Pale lager with a lime wedge
Cold carbonation and the lime echo the squeeze of lime in the soup and dampen the chilli warmth.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?Red wine · good match
Juicy Tempranillo or Zinfandel with little tannin
Ripe fruit and spice notes meet cumin and beans, and low tannin stays soft alongside the soured cream.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingAged tequila · good match
Reposado over one large ice cube
Light wood and vanilla notes build a bridge to chipotle and cumin; the ice slows the alcohol, which would otherwise stoke the chilli.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes