Courgette & Tomato Soup (aka Zucchini & TomaYto soup)

Happy New Year!! I've been sunning myself in the Caribbean over Christmas, so coming back to the January grey, wet and very windy weather is not very pleasing. When the weather is this dire there is only one thing that truly comforts and warms me up; a big bowl of hearty soup.

I love tomatoes, and courgettes can always do with a helping hand, so putting them together in this glorious soup is perfect after returning home from the dark wet windy weather.

I find soup quite therapeutic to make. It's not too difficult or time consuming and at the end of it is a great bowl of warmth that will really make you glow. So here is a winter warmer of a dinner that will truly warm you up from the inside out.

Courgette & Tomato Soup (aka Zucchini & TomaYto soup)

Ingredients

4 courgettes (around 600g); cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic; chopped
Half a green chilli; chopped
1 400g (14oz) can of peeled plum tomatoes
750ml of vegetable stock
Some oil

Method

Heat some oil in a pan (you can use any oil, olive, sunflower, vegetable, I used vegetable) and gently saute the onions on a medium heat for around 15 minutes. They should soften and caramelise a little. You want the onions to become sweet to add sweetness to the dish. Then add the chopped garlic and chilli, and stir. It should become quite aromatic now. Then add the chunky courgettes and stir well. Cook with lid half on for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the can of plum tomatoes, and the vegetable stock. Stir and cook for a good 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or maybe some sugar. Once you are happy with the flavour, scoop a few ladles of soup in a blender/food processor at a time and blend.

Serve with warm crusty bread.