Spicy Tomato & Basil Soup (Vegan & GF)

1. Wash and prepare your vegetables!

2. Chop all of your tomatoes into small chunks along with the onion and carrot.

3. Prepare your large based pan by spooning in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and lightly heat for a few minutes.

4. Once the oil is hot, pour in the onion and carrot. Make sure you stir with a wooden spoon to prevent the vegetables sticking to the pan. Mix until they have lightly changed colour and are softer.

5. Measure out 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and add to the vegetables. They should turn bright red, then pour in all of the juicy tomatoes, basil, chilli flakes, oregano, leaves and a pinch of salt & pepper.

6. Pop a lid onto the pan and leave to stew for 10 minutes over a low heat. (Remember to stir occasionally to keep everything moving).

7. After 10 minutes, pour in the stock and mix well with a wooden spoon. Turn up the heat to the highest setting and wait for the soup to bubble. Once bubbling, turn down the heat and pop the lid back on. Cook for 20 minutes, whilst string occasionally.

The soup should be steaming and the tomatoes should be soft.

8. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the lid. Leave to cool before spooning the soup into your blender.

9. When the soup has slightly cooled, ladle the soup into your blender and whizz up until smooth.

10. Pour the puréed soup back into your pan and gently heat up on a medium heat for 5 minutes until ready for serving. Serve in a bowl for lunch with a sprig of basil, a DS gluten-free bread roll and a sprinkling of pepper.

You can even swirl in some dairy-free yoghurt or coconut cream.