PASSATA TOMATO PUREE RECIPES

Steps:

• Slice each tomato in half and scoop out the seeds. You can opt to leave the seeds in the tomatoes and simply strain the vegetables later in the recipe, however, removing them in the beginning is the best way to ensure there are no seeds in the passata. It also prevents the passata from being too liquid and allows for a thicker sauce.
• Place the cleaned tomatoes in a large pot, cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft, not totally mashed. Roughly it will take about 20 minutes.
• Place the tomatoes through a strainer machine or food mill to puree them well, crushing the skins and making the sauce perfectly smooth.
• If the sauce is too liquid for you at this stage, place it in a very fine strainer to remove some of the liquid.
• The sauce is now ready to use or can!

Steps:

• Put the oil, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and bay leaves in a big casserole dish, or two saucepans. Fry gently until the onions are softened – about 10-15 mins. Fill the kettle and boil it.
• Stir in the tomato purée, sugar, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and passata, then crumble in the stock cubes. Add 1 litre boiling water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until the potato is tender, then remove the bay leaves. Purée with a stick blender (or ladle into a blender in batches) until very smooth. Season to taste and add a pinch more sugar if it needs it. The soup can now be cooled and chilled for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• To serve, reheat the soup, stirring in the milk – try not to let it boil. Serve in small bowls for the children with cheesy sausage rolls then later in bowls for the adults as Hot Bloody Mary soup (see 'Goes well with' recipes, below).