Mexican Vegetable Soup with Cornbread Muffins

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
400g canned chick peas, rinsed, drained
400g can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
700 ml passata
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 litre chicken stock

Cornbread Muffins
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup polenta
¼ cup caster sugar
260g can corn kernels, rinsed, drained
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 eggs, lightly beaten
60g butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk

Heat oil in pan, add onion, garlic and spices, cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in chick peas, beans, undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, celery, carrot and stock, simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Serve with cornbread muffins.

Muffins: Grease 12-hole muffin pan. Sift flour into bowl. Add the remaining ingredients.Mix until just combined. Spoon mixture into pan.Bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes or until golden.

Serves 6 - 8.