Tomato soup with CHEESY SOLDIERS

CHEESY SOLDIERS (serves 4)

Ingredients:

8 slices of O'Donohues White Loaf

Few sprigs of thyme

30g freshly grated cheddar cheese (add more if you desire)

Worcestershire Sauce

Olive Oil

Method:

1. Cut the bread into finger sized soldiers and spread them around a large baking sheet.
2. Scatter the thyme sprigs and sprinkle the cheese all over.
3. Add a few good swigs of Worcestershire sauce and a lug of Olive Oil.
4. Toss the ingredients around.
5. Cook them in a preheated oven @ 180°c for 10 - 15min or until the bread is crisp and golden and the cheese has melted all over it

TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients:

2 x Carrots (peeled and sliced)

2 x Celery sticks (sliced)

2 x Medium Onions (Peeled and Chopped)

2 x Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Sliced)

Olive Oil

2 x Chicken or Veg Stock cubes (Stock pots are a great alternative)

400g tinned Plum Tomatoes

3 x Large Ripe Tomatoes

1 Small bunch of fresh Basil

Sea Salt

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Method:

1. Put a large pan on a medium heat and add a couple of lugs of olive oil.
2. Add all your chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together.
3. Cook for 10-15 min with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened and the onion is lightly golden.
4. Put the stock cubes or pots into a jug or pan and pour in 1.5 ltrs of boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
5. Add the stock to the pan with your tinned and fresh whole tomatoes. (Leave the green stalks that may be still attached to your fresh tomatoes as they add great flavour!)
6. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 min with the lid on.

To Serve:

Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil leaves. Using a hand blender or liquidizer, pulse the soup until smooth. Serve into bowls and don't forget your Cheesy Soldiers!