Carrot and Tomato Soup

Toward the end of this long, cold winter I have to admit that I’m getting a bit fed up with the idea of yet more root veg. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with them, but carrots seemed so much more interesting at the start of the winter. However, using a good can of Italian tomatoes adds a bit of sunshine and balances the sweetness nicely.

This should make 5 or 6 portions

1 onion, finely chopped

500g (prepared weight) carrots, chopped

1 potato, about 150 g – 200 g, peeled and chopped

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

1 litre chicken stock

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

½ tsp sugar

Sprig of fresh rosemary

2 tsp sherry vinegar

A little lemon juice

In a large frying pan, soften the onion in a little oil, adding a drop or two of water to prevent it browning or cooking too quickly. Add the carrots, potato, chilli flakes and a grind or two of black pepper then pour over 750 ml of the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook gently for 15 minutes.

Add the can of tomatoes, the sugar, rosemary and sherry vinegar and stir everything together thoroughly. Put the lid back on the pan, bring back to a simmer and continue cooking gently for another 10 minutes or until the carrots are completely tender.

Let the mixture cool a little. Discard the rosemary and liquidise the soup, adding as much of the remaining stock as needed to get the consistency you want.

Adjust the seasoning and add a squeeze or two of lemon to taste.