Simple Tomato And Bean Soup, 20p. [VG/V/DF/GF]

This simple staple started off as a tin of baked beans, thoroughly rinsed, plus a carton of chopped tomatoes – out of which I made a hearty, filling soup suitable for lunch or a light supper. I’ve jazzed it up a bit since then! And don’t be scared of rinsing baked beans, they are normally just haricot or borlotti or cannelloni beans slathered in ‘that’ bright orange tomato sauce, and the value range versions are much cheaper than their plain counterparts. In case you’re interested, this recipe cost 15p per portion in 2012, and is up to 19p per portion 6 years later. Not the worst price rise I’ve seen when rewriting my older recipes, but still a little annoying.)

Serves 4 at 20p each

1 medium onion, 7p (59p/1kg, Farm Stores at Asda)

2 cloves of garlic, 4p (60p/3 bulbs, Growers Selection at Asda)

1 carrot, 9p (avg price 1 loose carrot, Growers Selection at Asda)

500ml stock made with 1 stock cube and water, 3p (39p/12, Asda)

1 x 400g tin of beans, 25p (23p/420g, Smart Price at Asda)

1 tsp thyme, 4p (37p/18g, Asda)

1 x 400g carton or tin of chopped tomatoes, 30p (KTC at Asda)

 

Peel and chop the onion, peel and finely chop the garlic, wash and chop the carrot. Put them all into a saucepan and cover with the stock.

Drain and rinse the tinned beans, then throw them into the pan.

Add the herbs and the chopped tomatoes, then simmer for 30 minutes until the veg are soft.

This soup can be served chunky – by tipping half into a blender, pulsing and mixing the purée back in with the chunky half in the pan – or smooth, by pulsing the lot in a blender.

 (You may notice I have changed from pricing my recipes at Sainsburys after 6 years of consistently doing so. Sainsburys are major donors to the Conservative Party and I can no longer in good conscience promote them on my website. I will be pricing my recipes at other supermarkets from now on.)

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