I call this ‘Mediterranean’ because it evokes the flavours of Southern Spain and Italy in every spoonful, and comes together so quickly it leaves lots of time for relaxing – ha!
Packed with garlic, herbs, olives, with a hint of sherry and spiked with chipotle, what more could a tin of tomatoes ask for?
This is a fabulous filling soup that whips up easily from 100% cupboard ingredients and makes an easy meal – the sort of soup that handily plugs that end of month hole, and proves that not everything has to be ‘fresh’ to be good for you.
Buy tinned tomatoes without any added sugar, stick to ones with nice extra’s like herbs or garlic.Smoked Paprika can be swapped in for chipotle for a little less heat, and if there’s no half bottle of cooking sherry lying around, then balsamic vinegar will do just fine.
Salud!
- 2 medium onions, any colour, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 large pickled red peppers
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1.5 cups good quality stock
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon chipotle spice
- 2 tbsp cooking sherry or red wine
- ⅓ cup olives
- 2 tbsp mix of oregano, thyme, basil
- salt as required
- ½ cup green lentils, uncooked
- Wipe a deep frying pan or pot with olive oil.
- Add the onions and garlic and sweat for a few minutes. Add a little water if it starts to stick.
- Add the peppers and mix.
- Put the tomatoes in a blender, add the herbs and onion mix and pulse until smooth.
- Return to the hob and simmer on low for 5 minutes
- Season with pepper and chipotle
- Taste and add salt if needed. If you have used a commercial stock, you won't need more salt.
- Before sweating the onoins, put ½ cup of lentils into 1.5 cups of water and boil gently for 15 minutes.
- Add to soup as required.
We put the lentils in a separate bowl, as not everyone wants them in their soup!
