Recipes: Tomato soup and onion soup with cheese croutons

Burnley community food leader Julie Hemingway, who earlier this year reached the quarter-finals of BBC TV’s MasterChef contest, is running a series of ‘soups and salads’ courses to encourage people to source local produce for healthy eating.

The free course, which is a Big Lottery Target Wellbeing initiative, is running in South West Burnley Community Enterprise Centre. To find out more call Julie on 07980 581587.

Julie have created two hearty and healthy winter soup recipes for our readers using local grown tomatoes and onions as their main ingredients.

Tomato soup

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely shopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 medium sized potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
half packet of basil leaves
finely chopped basil stalks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1kg ripe tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
1.1ltr chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Method
Put onion, garlic, carrot, potato and basil stalks into large pan with olive oil. Heat on low and allow ingredients to ‘sweat’ gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes without colouring.

Cut cross into bottom of each tomato then cover with boiling water for about one minute. Cool down quickly with cold water and slip the skins off the tomatoes. Roughly chop. Add tomatoes to the other vegetables in pan, add stock and simmer with lid on for another 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in processor or with hand blender, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm bread such as focaccia, a traditional Italian flat bread.

Onion soup with cheese croutons

Ingredients
1kg onions, finely sliced
25g butter
olive oil
handful of sage leaves
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2litres of stock
8 slices good quality stale bread, 2cm thick
200g grated Cheddar cheese
Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Method
Put the butter and little olive oil in a large pan or casserole. Add the garlic and all but 8 of the un-chopped sage leaves. Add onions and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Put lid on pan and cook on lowest possible heat for 30 minutes.

Remove lid and cook on low for a further 20 minutes, without colouring. Add stock, bring to boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, skimming off any fat. Season to taste.

Pre-heat oven or grill to highest setting and toast bread on both sides.

Put on baking tray and cover with grated cheese, sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce (optional).

Dip remaining sage leaves in olive oil and place in middle of each cheesy toast.

Melt in oven or under grill, taking care not to burn.

Divide hot soup into bowls and top each with cheesy croutons.