Tomato And Spicy Tomato Soup

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add in the onion and bacon and sweat for 2 min. Chop the carrot, celery and leek, add in to the pan and cook without colouring for 5 min on a medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Add in the basil, tomato puree, tomatoes, stock, potatoes and sugar. Simmer till the potatoes are soft. Push the mix through a sieve into another pan. The residue in the sieve can be used as a base for stews or possibly lasagne.
3. If you do not want to make your soup spicy, season the soup and top with cream then serve.
4. For a spicy soup, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and cook the garlic, peppers and chillies without colouring. Add in the base tomato soup and seasoning to taste (Worcester sauce, Tabasco etc). Add in the sausage and coriander, simmer for 5 min and serve.
5. To make the chilli salsa, lb. the dry ingredients in a pestle and mortar or possibly blend in a food processor. Slowly add in the oil, and use as a dip for bread.