Thomasina Miers, the celebrated chef and cookbook author, brings a taste of Mexico to spring with two vibrant recipes: a Mexican spring vegetable soup and a black bean and three-cheese quesadilla. These dishes highlight the fresh flavors of the season, from tender greens and zesty tomatillos to creamy beans and melted cheese.
Mexican Spring Soup
This soup is a celebration of spring greens, gently spiced and finished with a creamy, nutty texture from toasted pumpkin seeds. The tomatillo salsa adds a refreshing acidity that brightens the earthy flavors. Whether you use homemade or store-bought stock, the result is a nourishing bowl of comfort.
Ingredients
- 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
Method
- 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, add them to the pan with the potatoes and spices, season with a teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper, then sweat for another five minutes.
- Add the 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 until the seeds color and start to pop. Grind two-thirds of the pumpkin seeds in a spice grinder and roughly chop the rest.
- Add the spinach/nettles/chard to the soup, stir in most of the coriander leaves and the tarragon or dill (reserve some herbs for garnish), simmer for three to four minutes until tender, then stir in the ground pumpkin seeds.
- Pour in the double cream, then blitz with a stick blender. Add the lime juice and taste, adjusting seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve in bowls topped with a swirl of soured cream, a scattering of reserved herbs, and the chopped pumpkin seeds. The soup can be made a day ahead; it will lose some color but the flavor will improve.
Black Bean and Three-Cheese Quesadillas
These quesadillas are the perfect companion to the spring soup, offering a comforting, cheesy contrast. The black beans are cooked with chipotle for a smoky kick, then paired with a trio of melted cheeses. Use small tortillas for half-moons or larger ones cut into triangles.
Ingredients
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)
Method
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. 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.
- Lift out a cup of the beans and roughly blitz them with a stick blender. Stir the blitzed beans back into the whole beans, then taste and adjust seasoning with more fennel, chipotle, or salt as needed.
- Mix all three cheeses in a bowl. If you have fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, coriander, or dill, chop them and add to the cheese.
- Spoon scoops of the beans onto one half of each tortilla, scatter over the cheese mix, then fold the tortillas into half-moons.
- Dry-fry the quesadillas for a few minutes on each side in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until gooey, hot, and toasted. Serve immediately.
These recipes are perfect for a spring lunch or light dinner, celebrating the season's bounty with Mexican flair. Enjoy the soup and quesadillas together for a complete meal that is both satisfying and vibrant.
