7
Vine tomato and basil soup
Serves 4-5
•
25g butter
•
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
•
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
•
1kg vine tomatoes, quartered
•
2 tbsp tomato purée
•
400g tin chopped tomatoes
•
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
•
2 bay leaves
•
1 litre of vegetable stock
•
30g fresh basil leaves
•
30ml balsamic vinegar
•
Ground black pepper
1. Place the removable cooking bowl onto your hob at a low heat. Add the butter and heat until melted. Sauté the onions
without colouring until softened.
2. Stir in the garlic and sauté for a further minute.
3. Remove the cooking bowl from the hob and place into the heating base.
4. Top with the tomatoes,
purée
, tinned tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, stock and half of the fresh basil.
5. Stir and cover with the lid, and cook on Low for 6 hours.
6. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the balsamic vinegar and black pepper.
7. Allow the soup to cool, add the remaining basil leaves and blend until smooth.
Delicious served with warm garlic bread.
Tuscan bean soup
Serves 4-5
•
1 tbsp vegetable oil
•
1 large onion, roughly diced
•
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
•
2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
•
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
•
2 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped
•
1 tsp smoked paprika
•
400g tin chopped tomatoes
•
2 tbsp tomato purée
•
1.5 litres good quality vegetable stock
•
400g tin cannellinni beans, drained and rinsed
•
400g tin flageolet beans, drained and rinsed
•
100g shredded kale
1. Add the oil to the removable cooking bowl and heat on your hob.
2. Sauté the onion and celery over a medium heat until softened. Add the carrots, garlic, thyme, rosemary and paprika
and continue sautéing for a further 2 minutes.
3. Remove the bowl from the hob and place into the heating base.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, stock, beans and kale and stir.
5. Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 4–5 hours.
After cooking, season to taste, ladle into bowls and add a spoonful of pesto. Serve with fresh, crusty bread.
