Secret Seven Tomato Soup

Eat together – suitable for whole family.

This is a great way to get everyone to eat their veggies. Make the soup as thick as you like by blending more or less of the stock with the vegetables. Extra-thick for babies, or medium/thick for toddlers and adults. I made this soup extra-thick as a pasta sauce and tested it on my “discerning” niece and nephew (8 and 10 years) who ate it all up. A vegetable triumph!

Serve with buttered bread triangles for dipping, and grated cheese which kids can sprinkle on top and watch melt. Want to posh it up for adults? Easy, serve with blob of soft cheese like mascarpone or cream in the middle, and or pesto, with extra black pepper seasoning.  For a spice kick add cayenne pepper – for adults only!!

1 carrot peeled
1 onion
1 medium potato peeled
1 large stick celery
250g  tin of tomatoes
1 small courgette peeled
small handful cauliflower florets
Bay leaf
2 tbsp Tomato puree
salt and pepper (add to adults individual bowls when serving if preparing for baby)
generous knob of butter
Recently boiled water (approx 900ml)

Equipment – medium/large saucepan, blender

Wash and roughly chop all the veggies into . Melt butter in saucepan over low-medium heat. Gently fry onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add carrot, potato, courgette and cauliflower, stir fry for additional minute. Add tinned tomatoes, bay leaf, water and seasoning. Don’t add more than 1/4 tsp of salt if soup is for babies. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and blitz with your blender and serve.