Black bean soup

Lentils, beans and chickpeas give food a healthy boost. Clare Ferguson brings a fresh new bite to healthy recipes

Black bean soup with tortilla crisps
Inspired by Central American cooking, this dark chowder is rich and warming. It has a hearty kick, so serve with a little soured cream to cool the heat and some tortilla crisps for added crunch.

Serves 4-6 (Makes 1.75 litres)

Ingredients
300g dried black beans, pre-soaked for 8 hours in cold water, and drained
8 spring onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
4 tablespoons corn, peanut or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half teaspoon dried hot chilli flakes
One and a half teaspoons rock salt
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 handful fresh basil or coriander leaves 60ml soured cream
Shreds of dried chilli

Instructions
Put the pre-soaked beans into a large saucepan, cover with at least 10cm unsalted, boiling water and boil hard, uncovered, for 10 minutes, skimming and discarding the foam, using a slotted spoon.

Reduce the heat, part-cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft. Set aside half the cooked beans and cooking liquid in a separate container, leaving the rest in the pan. Put the spring onions, garlic and oil into a non-stick frying pan and sizzle over a high heat for 2 minutes.

Grind the cumin, coriander, chilli flakes and rock salt to a powder in a pestle and mortar, add to the frying pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato purée, half the herbs and a ladleful of bean liquid. Add to the bean pan and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes, stirring, for flavours to blend.

Purée in short bursts in a food processor; wash the pan; and return the purée to the cleaned pan, adding the reserved beans and liquid. Stir over a high heat for 5 minutes more or until very hot. Serve with soured cream and chilli shreds on top, and the remainder of the herb leaves as a garnish.

Red bean patties

Reb bean patties with dipping sauces These little patties have a crisp outer layer that gives way to a nutty, spicy, fragrant centre. Serve with sauces to suit your palate.

Serves 6-8 (Makes 32-36)

Ingredients
250g dried aduki (adzuki) beans, pre-soaked in unsalted cold water for 8 hours, drained
7.5cm chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded finely
1 medium egg, fork-whisked
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 handful (about 25g) flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
Half teaspoon cracked black pepper
85g strong cheese, such as vegetarian Cheddar, coarsely grated
2x60g crusty bread rolls, quartered and sliced thinly
1-2 teaspoons spice paste, such as massaman or korma
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil

Instructions
Put the pre-soaked beans into a large saucepan; cover with at least 10cm unsalted, boiling water and boil hard, uncovered, for 10 minutes, skimming and discarding the foam that forms with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat and simmer, part-covered, for 35 minutes or until very tender. Drain in a sieve, discarding the cooking liquid.

Put half the cooked, drained beans with the ginger, egg, spring onions and most of the parsley (torn) into a food processor. Whizz for 30 seconds until the mix is chopped but not puréed; empty it into a bowl.

Put the second half of the beans into the food processor with the chilli sauce, soy sauce, pepper and cheese. Whizz again for 30 seconds; empty this into the bowl.

Now put the bread and the spice paste into the food processor and whizz for 60 seconds, in short bursts, until reduced to spicy crumbs. Add these to the bowl. Use clean hands or a wooden spoon to form the mixture into a dense, even paste.

Squeeze a walnut-sized portion into a tight ball, then flatten between your palms to make a patty. Repeat with the rest. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Cook 10 or 12 patties for 3 minutes over a fairly high heat on one side, and 2 minutes on the second side. Cook the rest the same way. Serve hot with the rest of the parsley and dipping sauces.

Fruity stuffed peppers

Fruity stuffed peppers
Rice-stuffed vegetables with added lentils is a colourful vegetarian dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 red, 2 yellow and 2 orange capsicum peppers with stems on, halved lengthwise (and through stems), pith and seeds removed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
75g Puy lentils, rinsed
150g basmati and wild rice mix
Half cinnamon stick, crushed into shards
6 fresh bay leaves, halved
2 garlic cloves, crushed lengthwise and then chopped
100g jumbo raisins and golden sultanas, mixed
450ml boiling vegetable stock
200g baby leeks, finely sliced crosswise
1-2 teaspoons sea-salt flakes

Instructions
Rub or brush a little olive oil around the insides of the pepper halves. Set them, cut sides up, on a lightly oiled, large ovenproof dish.

Cover the lentils with at least 10cm boiling water and boil hard for 10 minutes; reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes until chewy then drain. Put the rice, cinnamon, bay, garlic, dried fruits and the stock or water into a medium saucepan. Stir, then bring to the boil.

Cover the pan, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the lentils to the rice pan, along with the leeks. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes and season to taste. Stir in the remaining oil.

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4 (180°C, 350°F). Divide the par-cooked rice filling and its liquid evenly among the pepper halves; cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes until tender. Serve warm or cool with extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if liked.

Green bean, chickpea and orange salad

Green bean, chickpea and orange salad
Mediterranean in style, this salad with its intense flavours and radiant colours brightens the dullest of days.

Serves 4

Ingredients
200g green beans (haricots verts), trimmed, blanched for 3 minutes, drained and chilled
400g can chickpeas, drained
4 large juicy oranges, scrubbed and dried
1 small onion, sliced, separated into rings
1 handful fresh watercress or baby spinach leaves
100g salty white cheese - feta, halloumi or Caerphilly - cut into 1 cm cubes
2 teaspoons orange-flower water
3 tablespoons first cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot chilli oil, or argan oil (optional)
2 pinches mild paprika

Instructions
Line a flattish serving dish or shallow bowl with the blanched green beans and half of the chickpeas. Zest one orange with a zester, or use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest in one long strip, then slice it into fine shreds. Keep to one side.

Slice off and discard the outer pith of this orange, then remove the skin and pith from the other oranges. Slice the flesh into even rounds and arrange these on top of the beans and chickpeas, reserving two slices. Squeeze these over the salad as a dressing, then scatter with onion rings.

Make a decorative pattern with the watercress or spinach and cheese and scatter the remaining chickpeas. Whisk together the orange-flower water, olive oil and chilli oil, and drizzle over the salad. Serve cool, with a sprinkle of paprika.