Black Bean Soup and Chilli Cornbread — a plant-based Mexican recipe by BOSH!
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Black Bean Soup and Chilli Cornbread

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to when we want something that feels really special but doesn't take all day. Smoky, hearty black bean soup loaded with depth and warmth, served alongside a golden, crispy-edged chilli cornbread that you cook right in the pan. The cornbread has this brilliant contrast going on, fluffy and slightly sweet inside with little pops of sweetcorn and a kick from the chipotle flakes. It's the kind of lunch that feels like a proper event. Honestly, make this on a cold weekend and you will not regret it.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Oven-safe skillet or frying pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Separate mixing bowl
  • Saucepan
  • Cooling rack

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 5 coriander stalks
  • 3 spring onions
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 x 400g can of black beans
  • 80g frozen sweetcorn
  • ½ vegetable stock cube
  • 1 x 400g can x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes
  • tsp salt to taste
  • 450ml water
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp chipotle chilli flakes
  • 1 ½ tbsp plant-based butter - for greasing
  • 100g cornflour (or polenta)
  • 200ml plant-based milk
  • 140g frozen sweetcorn
  • 150g plain flour
  • 4 tbsp plant-based yoghurt
  • ½ lime

Method

1

Make the cornbread dough 

  • Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine
  • Measure the milk, vegetable oil and maple syrup into a separate bowl
  • Add the sweetcorn and chipotle flakes
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir everything together to form a dough
2

Cook the cornbread 

  • Place the skillet or frying pan over a medium heat
  • Melt the dairy-free butter in the hot pan, moving it around to coat the sides
  • When the butter starts to bubble, pour in the batter
  • Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 25 minutes
  • Take the pan out of the oven (the handle will be hot!)
  • Carefully remove the cornbread and leave it to cool on a rack
3

Meanwhile, make the soup 

  • Trim and finely chop the spring onions
  • Put the chopped green tops to one side
  • Pick the coriander leaves and finely chop the stems
  • Place the saucepan over a medium heat
  • Pour in the oil
  • Add the white spring onion and coriander stems and cook for a few minutes
  • When they are starting to soften, add the spices and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the black beans with their water, the sweetcorn, chopped tomatoes, stock cube and water
  • Taste and season
  • Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until thickened
4

Serve 

  • Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with the green spring onion tops, a spoonful of dairy-free yoghurt, the coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime

Tips & Variations

  • Make it spicier: If you love heat, we find adding a pinch more chipotle flakes to both the soup and the cornbread dough really amps things up. Trust us on this one.
  • Swap the milk: Any plant milk works here but we usually go for oat milk. It gives the cornbread a slightly richer, more tender crumb.
  • Serve it right: Ladle the soup into a wide bowl and prop a wedge of cornbread on the side so it stays crispy. Soggy cornbread is a tragedy we want to help you avoid.

Why This Works

The trick here is cooking the cornbread in a hot buttered skillet rather than baking it. You get that crispy, golden crust on the outside that you just can't achieve in the oven, and it only takes minutes. The chipotle flakes in the dough are doing serious heavy lifting too, giving the cornbread a smoky heat that ties it perfectly to the soup.