Mexican Spring Soup
I have always appreciated the apparent, though unproven, connection between a country's culinary enthusiasm and its fondness for soups. In Mexico, where nose-to-tail eating is customary, broths hold a consistent role in any reputable cantina, and soups frequently appear on menus. While we do not consume large amounts of meat at home, keeping homemade stock in the freezer is a clever shortcut to flavor and nutrition. In this recipe, whether your stock is chicken or vegetable, homemade or store-bought, the delight lies in the subtle seasoning, a scattering of herbs, tangy tomatillos, and fresh spring greens.
There are numerous herbs native to Mexico that are difficult to source here, so I have used bundles of more common soft herbs to approximate the rich flavor profile of this soup. Tomatillos, in salsa form, provide a refreshing acidity that enlivens the greens.
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Serves: 4-6
- 50g butter
- 2 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
- ½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 50g fresh coriander
- 250g floury potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp allspice
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 300g jar tomatillo salsa
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock, or water
- 60g pumpkin seeds
- 500g baby leaf spinach, or young nettles or Swiss chard, or a mix, washed and roughly chopped
- 1 handful fresh tarragon or dill, chopped, plus extra to serve
- 250ml double cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- Soured cream, to serve
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once foaming, add the onion and fennel and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes until softened.
Finely chop the coriander stalks and add them to the pan along with the potatoes and spices. Season with a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, then sweat for another five minutes. Add the tomatillo salsa and stock, bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a small pan for about five minutes, shaking occasionally until the seeds color and begin to pop. Grind two-thirds of the pumpkin seeds in a spice grinder and roughly chop the remainder.
Add the spinach, nettles, or chard to the soup, stir in most of the coriander leaves and the tarragon or dill (reserve some herbs for garnish), and simmer for three to four minutes until tender. Then stir in the ground pumpkin seeds.
Pour in the double cream and blend the soup with a stick blender. Add the lime juice and taste, adjusting the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve the soup in bowls topped with a swirl of soured cream, a scattering of the reserved herbs, and the chopped pumpkin seeds. If prepared a day in advance, the soup may lose some of its vibrant color, but the flavor will deepen beautifully.
Black Bean and Three-Cheese Quesadillas
This comforting and flavorful quesadilla is perfect for any time of day and pairs exceptionally well with the Mexican spring soup described above. Tortillas vary greatly in size and thickness; I prefer smaller tortillas that can be folded into half-moons, but larger ones work as well—simply fold and cut into triangles.
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves: 4-6
For the beans:
- 45g butter
- 1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp chipotles en adobo (optional)
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 600g cooked black beans
- ½ tsp fennel seeds, ground
For the tortillas:
- 250g mozzarella, grated
- 250g cheddar, grated
- 100g feta, crumbled
- Small tortillas (corn or flour)
Melt the butter in a pan and, once gently foaming, add the onions, garlic, thyme, and chipotle if using. Season generously, then sweat gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until soft. Add the beans, ground fennel, and 250ml water, and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove a cup of the beans and roughly blend them with a stick blender. Stir the blended beans back into the whole beans, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more fennel, chipotle, or salt as desired.
Combine all three cheeses in a bowl. If you have fresh herbs available—such as parsley, tarragon, coriander, or dill—chop and add them to the cheese mixture.
Spoon portions of the bean mixture onto one half of each tortilla, sprinkle over the cheese mix, then fold the tortillas into half-moons. Dry-fry the quesadillas in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side until the cheese is melted, the filling is hot, and the tortillas are toasted. Serve immediately.
