I used a deep purple coloured basil to make the soup, and left some of this whole in the soup, as you can see (or - was I just being lazy & not liquidzing it for long enough ?!)The temperature is dropping on our side of the world, as we enter our chilly Winter months and the days get shorter.
Ever since I was a child, I have absolutely LOVED Winter - it is my most favourite season of the year ! There’s just something about crisp, cool air and long, cold nights that make me feel so … alive, and cozy.
Our Winter temperatures here can drop to as low as 7 ‘C at night and average around 15 – 18’C during the day (I know – not nearly as cold as Winter in other parts of the world – but cold by African standards !). We usually have a huge log fire burning in the lounge at night, and duck down duvets on the beds – both of which help to take the chill off the air. I cannot run electric blankets off our battery power at night, so hot water bottles are good substitutes. All the dogs and cats have foam cushions and blankets to sleep snuggly on – well, the cats sleep on the beds and if I am really honest, the dogs creep up onto the couches once we go to bed and I have extra blankets and cushions out on the veranda for the village strays. (They creep up onto the veranda at sunset for a little warmth, and are gone again by dawn.)
Winter months also mean warm, comforting food and one of our favourites is soup. We eat it often for lunch during Winter as it is filling, nourishing and easy to make.
So, here is my own recipe for Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup. (I made this last week when I realised how much basil I had in my herb pots which was begging to be used) -:
Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup
2 tins (400 gm each) peeled Tomatoes
2 vegetable Stock Cubes, dissolved in
2 tins boiling Water (use the empty Tomato tins to measure)
2 tbsp chopped Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup Milk (you can use full cream – I usually use skim & it works just fine)
Place all the ingredients in a pot (except the milk) and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove from heat, stir in the milk and liquidize.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil poured over the surface, and some croutons. To make the croutons, I simply cut shapes with a small pastry cutter into slices of bread (the older the better) and quickly shallow fry in some olive oil, drain, and add to the soup. If you don’t have a tiny pastry cutter, simply cut the bread into squares instead. The croutons add a lovely crunch to the smoothness of the soup.
Ever since I was a child, I have absolutely LOVED Winter - it is my most favourite season of the year ! There’s just something about crisp, cool air and long, cold nights that make me feel so … alive, and cozy.
Our Winter temperatures here can drop to as low as 7 ‘C at night and average around 15 – 18’C during the day (I know – not nearly as cold as Winter in other parts of the world – but cold by African standards !). We usually have a huge log fire burning in the lounge at night, and duck down duvets on the beds – both of which help to take the chill off the air. I cannot run electric blankets off our battery power at night, so hot water bottles are good substitutes. All the dogs and cats have foam cushions and blankets to sleep snuggly on – well, the cats sleep on the beds and if I am really honest, the dogs creep up onto the couches once we go to bed and I have extra blankets and cushions out on the veranda for the village strays. (They creep up onto the veranda at sunset for a little warmth, and are gone again by dawn.)
Winter months also mean warm, comforting food and one of our favourites is soup. We eat it often for lunch during Winter as it is filling, nourishing and easy to make.
So, here is my own recipe for Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup. (I made this last week when I realised how much basil I had in my herb pots which was begging to be used) -:
Creamy Tomato & Basil Soup
2 tins (400 gm each) peeled Tomatoes
2 vegetable Stock Cubes, dissolved in
2 tins boiling Water (use the empty Tomato tins to measure)
2 tbsp chopped Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup Milk (you can use full cream – I usually use skim & it works just fine)
Place all the ingredients in a pot (except the milk) and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove from heat, stir in the milk and liquidize.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil poured over the surface, and some croutons. To make the croutons, I simply cut shapes with a small pastry cutter into slices of bread (the older the better) and quickly shallow fry in some olive oil, drain, and add to the soup. If you don’t have a tiny pastry cutter, simply cut the bread into squares instead. The croutons add a lovely crunch to the smoothness of the soup.
