Roasted Tomato Soup [vegan]

Tomato soup is probably the second favorite soup in Poland, just after rosół (chicken broth). Typically, the Polish version is rather thin, there is even a joke that on Sunday you have rosół, on Monday you have tomato soup as it is just a question of adding tomato purée to the chicken broth. It is not quite true (but it may be if you are in a rush!) as you can make it with fresh tomatoes and it does taste great then.

But I have always preferred thicker soups. So I make mine with plenty of tomatoes but also red peppers, onions and garlic. Roasting all these vegetables adds a really intense flavor which is so important especially in winter when – unfortunately – many tomatoes don’t really have taste. After liquidizing the vegetables, you can adjust the amount of stock to your liking: add more if you prefer to serve the soup with pasta but if you – just like me – prefer a thick soup, add only 750ml of the stock. This way you will end up with beautiful, flavorsome and creamy result.

INGREDIENTS (for 4-6 portions):

1kg tomatoes, cut into quarters,

250g red peppers, deseeded and cut into quarters,

2 red onions, peeled and cut into quarters,

4 garlic cloves, peeled,

2 tbps olive oil,

1 tsp sugar,

salt and pepper,

750-1000ml vegetable stock.

METHOD:

1. Preheat an oven to 190 degrees (170 for fan ovens).
2. Put all the vegetables to a baking tin, pour the olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar, stir and put to the hot oven to roast for approx. 50 minutes.
3. Liquidize the vegetables.
4. Add the required amount of stock, bring to boil.
5. The soup can be served with a drop of cream or/and pasta.

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Mexican Salad with Avocado, Tomato and Red Beans [vegan]

I called this salad Mexican but in truth it could also be called Guacamole Salad because it uses more or less the same ingredients as the ones that are required to make this well-known dip. However – to make it more filling so it can be a proper, nutritious lunch option - I also added red beans.

Even though I know that eating salads are more associated with spring and summer, this one is still a good option for autumn or even winter, since the addition of red chilies (the amount of which you can always adjust) will surely warm you up ;)

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

2 big tomatoes, cut into cubes,

2 avocados, cut into cubes,

1 can of red beans,

1 small red onion, thinly chopped,

chopped coriander,

red chili, thinly chopped (the amount used depends on you but it is better to start with less at the beginning and then slowly add),

Dressing:

2 tbsp lime juice,

3 tbsp olive oil,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Put all the salad ingredients to a bowl.
2. Make the dressing by mixing the ingredients.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, season and stir.

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Top 10 Spaghetti - with Spinach, Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes (vegetarian)

When I think about ingredients that are the most typical for Italian cuisine; spaghetti, mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil, spinach and garlic would be very high on the list, probably in the top 10. This pasta dish uses all of the ingredients and – except for seasoning and water – only them. It is very easy and quick to prepare but the result is absolutely wonderful.

I used to cook it just for my husband and I when our daughters were small and it was quite normal for us to have different meals. But when the girls started to eat “normal” food and I cooked the same for all of us, I couldn't really make this pasta dish as they wouldn't eat tomatoes or spinach. Luckily now they know what is good (and healthy) for them and we all can enjoy this delicious pasta together.

INGREDIENTS (4 portions):

2 tbsp olive oil,

3 garlic cloves finely sliced,

500g cherry tomatoes, halved,

250g fresh spinach,

250g mozzarella cut into small cubes,

300-400g spaghetti,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan, add the garlic and fry it for a few seconds (make sure not to burn it).
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook them on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime cook the spaghetti per the packet instructions. Before you drain the pasta, save a few tablespoons of the cooking water for later use.
4. Add the spinach to the tomatoes and cook till just wilted, adjust the seasoning (you may want to add 0.5 tsp sugar if the sauce is still too tangy).
5. Add the cooked pasta, mozzarella and - if the dish is too dry – a few tablespoons of the kept pasta cooking water, stir and quickly serve (if you wait too long, the mozzarella will melt and it will be difficult to serve).

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Fish and Tomato Soup

Good tomato soup is always a winner. I make quite a few different types of tomato soup and I am sure so do many other people. I thought about this recipe when I ended up with some fish “leftovers” after I cut out nice, thick fillets from a cod.  This soup is a great way of using such thinner parts of cod or any other white fish. It is aromatic and substantial as addition of chopped tomatoes and green peas turns it into almost a stew. Another great advantage of this soup is that is very easy and quick to prepare.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

1 onion finely chopped,

2 tbsp olive oil,

2 garlic cloves, crushed,

1 can (approx. 420g) chopped tomatoes,

800ml fish or vegetable stock,

1 tsp sugar,

1.5 tsp paprika,

0.5 tsp chilli powder,

1 tbsp fish sauce,

300g frozen green peas,

350g cod, skinless and boneless, cut into pieces,

1 tbsp lemon juice,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Heat olive oil in a big pot, add the onions and fry on a medium heat for 3 minutes; add the garlic and fry for further 2 minutes.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, bring to boil and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes; then add stock and cook for 10 minutes more.
3. Add all the spices (sugar, paprika, chilli and fish sauce) and frozen peas; bring to boil.
4. After 3 minutes add the fish and lemon juice, cook for 2-3 minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

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