CREAMY TOMATO SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Peel and roughly slice the carrots, slice the celery, and peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and slice the garlic.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add all the prepped ingredients, then cook with lid ajar for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Crumble the stock cubes into a jug, cover with1.5 litres of boiling water, and stir until dissolved.
  4. Add the stock to the veg pan with tinned and fresh whole tomatoes, including the green stalks that may still be attached to some of them (these give an amazing flavour – trust me!).
  5. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Meanwhile, pick your basil leaves.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then stir through the basil leaves.
  7. Using a stick blender or liquidizer, pulse the soup until smooth. Taste and check the seasoning, then serve.

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the oil, celery, carrots and onions; cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden.
• Add to slow cooker.
• Pour the juice of the tomatoes into the slow cooker, then roughly crush the tomatoes with your hands; add to slow cooker.
• Then add chicken (or vegetable broth), the cheese rind (if using) thyme, basil, and bay leaf.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, until the vegetables get soft and the flavors blend.
• Remove the cheese rid and, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth (or you can carefully do this in small batches in the blender).
• Melt the butter over low heat in a large skillet and add the flour.
• Stir constantly with a whisk for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the hot soup, then add the 1 3/4 cups of warmed milk and stir until smooth.
• Pour back into the slow cooker and stir, add the grated Pecorino cheese and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cover and cook on low 30 more minutes.