Winter Roast Tomato & Spicy Chorizo soup

I have a passion for tomato soup. Roasted (see my simple roast tomato soup recipe), creamed, spicy, as a base to another ingredient, you name it, tomatoes are an incredibly versatile soup complement. I find spicy chourizo, with it's rich, fatty exotic flavour is the perfect partner to a warm tomato soup on a cold winter's day, with a robust glass of red wine.

I'm also very partial to layered textures and flavours. The humble bean is a wonderful carrier for the spiciness of the sausage and the richness of the roast tomato. I chose to add baked beans to this soup, as there's something childishly comforting about the soft, subtle flavour they impart. The sweetness of their sauce also compliments the tomato and spice. The butter beans on the other hand, provide respite in their large neutralness, balancing the more intense flavours. And, in my opinion, on a wintery evening, you want the satisfaction of a home-made soup simmering on the stove, but you also want to be able to reach into the store cupboard for your ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• 10 roma tomatoes, halved and deseeded
• Olive oil
• Pinch of salt & sugar, respectively 
• Dried mixed herbs (if you have fresh, opt for a tspchopped origanum and a tsp chopped thyme)
• 225g courizo sausage
• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 large garlic clove (or two small ones)
• 3 small red chillies, for a medium heat (adjust to suit your palette)
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tin cream of tomato soup
• 1 tin baked beans
• 1 tin butter beans
• Salt & pepper

Fresh chillies, garlic, an onion and the hero of the soup: the chorizo.
This is sausage-maker Rudi's Portugese Chorizo
that I picked up at the City Bowl Market.

How to make:
Heat the oven to 200˚C. Place the halved, deseeded tomatoes in a roasting pan/plate. Douse with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, the herbs and a little sugar to counter the tomatoes' acidity. Pop in the oven to roast for about half and hour till soft and oozing.

Ripe Roma tomatoes, halved with their seeds removed,

being prepared for roasting in the oven.

In the meantime, brown the chorizo. Lightly coat the base of a pot with olive oil (the chorizo will release its own fat) and fry the sausage on a medium heat.

Frying off the chorizo. When you're browning meat,
it's always best not to overcrowd the pan. 

Brown the chorizo gently and remove, setting aside on a paper towel. Use the oil that's left in the pot to saute the onions. When they begin to stick, deglaze with the red wine.

Onions sweating and reducing in red wine used for deglazing;
browned chorizo resting on a paper towel; and roast tomatoes out of the oven.

When the wine has reduced, add the chopped chilli and garlic. As they become fragrant, stir in the roasted tomatoes along with all their oven juices and the chorizo. Allow the flavours to meld before adding a cup of vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

The roasted Roma tomatoes and chorizo simmering in the onion, red wine, 

chilli, garlic vegetable stock goodness!

Remove the tomatoes from the simmering stock mixture and place in a blender. Some will have disintegrated, which is fine, but try to get all the skins which can become stingy and chewy. Blend with half a tin of tomato soup to a rough texture, until all the skins are combined. Add this tomato "sauce" back to the pot, with the rest of the tomato soup and stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the tin of baked beans in its sauce, and the butter beans, rinsed and drained. Stir in the final cup of stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste, serve and enjoy!

Winter's best: a hearty, spicy, velvety tomato soup.

Roast Tomato Soup

Something magical happens to ingredients in the oven as you roast them. Take the fiery, overpowering, pungent raw garlic clove that becomes sweet and yielding and caramelised after half an hour at a high heat. I adore how a tart, taught tomato relaxes and oozes when roasted, yielding a rich, full flavour.

This is a simple, rewarding soup that makes use of key flavours, gently roasted and blended, allowing the ingredients to do the work. It's a great basic: add chilli or bacon, lentils or onions.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ripe tomatoes, halved with the seeds removed
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves (more/less depending on your garlic preference)
• 3 Tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt & pepper
• 2 cups stock
  

How to make:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC while you prepare the ingredients. In a roasting dish or pan, place the halved tomatoes and garlic cloves. Coat liberally and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sugar, torn thyme and salt, setting a sprig or two of thyme aside for garnish. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until soft. Blend briefly if you want some texture, or longer if you prefer a smooth consistency, with a half to a cup of stock to liquify. Heat through with remaining stock on the stove top, adjust the seasoning and serve.

Easy Home-made Asparagus Soup

I was a very obedient and unfussy eater as a child (which is probably why I fastidiously finish all the food on my plate now). There was nothing that I wouldn't try or wouldn't eat, and my meals were always well balanced. My Mum was great on colour and presentation – making sure there were different colours on the plate (literally choosing carrots instead of peas to offset the green marrows), and occasionally shaping everything into a pattern or face. Despite that, I don't think I had a very adventurous childhood menu.

"Cold meats and salads" was a frequent weekend feature in musky Natal, and tinned asparagus was often on the menu. I loved their neutral, slightly salty taste and melt-in-your-mouth spongy texture, and used to count out the spears onto the plates so we all got a fair number. It wasn't until I was older that I tasted fresh, firm-but-yielding steamed asparagus.

And I'm a big fan. They are, for me, quintessentially foodie produce. Like artichokes. Why? Because they're a meal on their own. Because of their gourmet appearance. Because of their earthy green colour which is begging to be painted. Because of their simple flavour which responds so well to simplicity. Because they're seasonal and look so beautiful in a market basket. Because, maybe, I thought for so long they grew, colourless cream, in tins of brine not in the ground until I tasted a fresh one and toyed with their potential.

So here's an asparagus soup recipe I experimented with recently. (In South Africa, asparagus is officially out of season during our autumn, and back in June - the perfect, chilly time for soup!) I haven't used flour much in soups – I make a lot of tomato-based soups, fill the pot with veg, or purree the ingredients, so the thickness isn't a concern. But I wanted to make a creamy soup quickly and simply, with ingredients I had in my fridge and cupboard and, ideally for a "healthy" weeknight meal, without actual cream!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola/grape seed oil
• 2 bunches/punnets of asparagus
• 1 white onion, finally chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 cups stock
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• Approx half a cup of milk
• 1 - 2 heaped tbsp smooth, plain cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

How to make:

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, chop them in half and set aside. Saute and soften the onions in the oil, then add the garlic and, as it gets fragrant, add the asparagus. Allow to sweat for about 10 minutes with the onion and garlic. Add the stock and allow to simmer until asparagus is cooked. Remove from heat.

In the meantime, on a low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. It will go dryish, so add a few teaspoons of the stock from the simmering soup and stir vigorously till it becomes a gluey mixture. Pour some milk in slowly (about 2 tbsp) and continue to stir vigorously to keep the mixture smooth and elastic. Stir in the cottage cheese. Alternately add liquid – a little stock, then a little milk - to the roux (white sauce) until you have a creamy consistency. Melt the cheese into the sauce, reserving a little aside for garnish.

Keeping aside a few spear tips for garnish, blend the asparagus and remaining stock in a blender and add to the roux. Stir to combine and allow to simmer together for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh ground black pepper, a sprinkle or Parmesan and an asparagus spear floating on top.

Gardner's tip:

Tomatoes and asparagus have amazing synergy - and not just on the plate! The asparagus roots exude a chemical that kills many of the nematodes (round worms) that either feed off tomato roots or carry disease to the plant. And tomatoes repel asparagus beetles, so the one is beneficial to the other.

Chicken Soup

My boyfriend has Man Flu. When I was sympathising with his symptoms, saying, "I know, that's exactly how I felt last week." He said, shocked, "Oh really?! I didn't know it was this bad!" Well, no, he wouldn't have known, because I was a woman about it! So last night, I made him hearty, healthy chicken soup. There are so many recipe variations out there, but here's a pretty simple one – recommended by the patient!

Ingredients:

• Pack of chicken breasts
• 2 Medium white onions
• 2 Sticks of celery
• Punnet of mushrooms
• Packet of mushroom soup
• Garlic
• Flat leaf parsley
• Thyme, fresh or dried
• 2 Bay leaves
• Egg noodles
• Salt and black pepper

How to make:
Heat the oven to 180ºC. In an oven-proof dish, place the chicken breasts, drizzled with olive oil, salt, thyme and crushed garlic. Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside to rest. In the meantime, finely chop the onions and let them simmer and soften gently with a bit of oil in your soup pot. Add the chopped celery and do the same. When softened, add two cloves of crushed garlic and mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to soften and release their juices, and add about 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Mix the packet soup with boiling water and add about 6 cups of water (depending on your taste and consistency preference). Stir in the shredded chicken, bay leaves and the noodles. Allow to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the noodles are ready. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in some more chopped parsley and serve.