Create and Cook 2011: Tomato and Basil Soup

Ingredients (Tomato and Basil Soup):

• 2 tbsp Pratts rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 medium stick celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 dsp plain flour
• 900mls vegetable stock
• 400g can plum tomatoes
• 3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• Small bunch fresh basil

Ingredients (Twisted Cheesy Bread Sticks):

• 175g wholemeal flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 75g Lyburn Gold cheese, grated
• 1 tsp quick action dried yeast
• 125mls warm water
• 1tbsp Pratts rapeseed oil
• 1tsp poppy seeds

SERVES 2

Instructions (Soup):

1. Pour rapeseed oil into a large saucepan, add the garlic and cook on a low heat for 2–3 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato puree and vegetables. Cook gently until the vegetables are softened.
3. Stir in the flour.
4. Add the stock, canned and fresh tomatoes. Simmer for 10–15 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat. Season. Pour soup into a blender, add basil leaves and blend until smooth.
6. Serve the soup with Twisted Cheesy Bread Sticks.

Instructions (Twisted Cheesy Bread Sticks):

1. Preheat oven 200°C/Gas mark 6.
2. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
3. Put flour, salt, sugar and 50g grated cheese into a large, lightly greased bowl. Mix well together.
4. Stir in yeast. Pour in the warm water, and rapeseed oil, mix well to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
5. Put dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put back into the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 20 minutes.
6. Remove dough from the bowl and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a sausage shape 10–15cms long. Flatten the dough slightly. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts into the strips of dough. Take 2 pieces of the dough and plait together. Repeat with the remaining 4 pieces.
7. Put plaits on to the baking tray, cover with oiled cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
8. Remove cling film, sprinkle with remaining cheese and poppy seeds.
9. Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden brown.