Red Soup Recipe

I originally posted this photo on Instagram and asked if anyone was interested in the recipe and it turns out, a few of you are. Original recipe credit goes to my dear friend Gina (my American Gina, not my British Gina) who served it to us many years ago. 15 years ago, I think, because I was pregnant with my eldest and she's almost 15!

It's vegan and also easily adaptable for those who need to be gluten and/or dairy-free. You just need to use a gluten free stock and don't serve with the sour cream garnish if you want to avoid those things. 

You will need a big pot to cook it in and a blender - a stick blender is probably easiest but you can do it in a regular blender or food processor. You just might have to do it in a couple of batches. 

Serves 6-8 depending on how hungry you are and how much bread you serve it with:

• 250g sundried tomatoes in oil. 
• 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 3 cloves of chopped garlic (add a clove more or less depending on how you much you like garlic)
• 500g passata
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 410g can of chick peas, rinsed and drained
• Crème fraîche or soured cream, to serve and garnish of rosemary or lemon thyme if you like it. 

1. Drain the tomatoes and roughly chop them, reserving the oil from the jar. Heat half the reserved oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onions for 6-8 minutes until brown. Add the cumin and garlic and fry for a further 3-4 minutes, until the garlic is just beginning to colour.
2. Add the passata, stock, chick peas, chopped tomatoes and the remaining oil (although I've been tending not to add this extra oil and it still tastes just fine!) and bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Liquidise the mixture with a hand-held blender or by transferring half the soup to a food processor. Pulse lightly until thickened.
3. Season to taste and spoon into small serving bowls - it's quite thick and hearty. Top with crème fraîche or soured cream, thyme or rosemary leaves and a grinding of black pepper.

Hope you like it! xx