Want-not Soup

At the end of the season when you've picked the last of the tomatoes and other vegetables, soup is the ideal thing to make. Not only is it nutritious and warming in the cooler weather, it also freezes well, so nothing need go to waste.

My recipe for "Want-Not Soup" is so called for that very reason.  Add whatever vegetables you have spare and every batch you make will be slightly different, which is an added bonus!

These are the ingredients I used to make my batch today:

Now for the method:

Tomatoes form a good basis for the soup. The quantity is up to you but they must first be skinned. I do this by bringing them to the boil in a large pan and as the come to the boil I scoop them out with a slotted spoon and, wearing rubber gloves to protect my hands, I peel off the skin which at this stage should come away without much difficulty. The peeled tomatoes can be put in a separate container until all are ready.

Once the tomatoes are all peeled pour away any water from the pan and return the tomatoes to it. Peel and chop your selection of vegetables (such as the ones shown above) and add these to the pan along with a vegetable stock cube (the Knorr one shown are really good). Then simply bring to the boil, cover and leave to simmer for about 45 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.

Leave to cool slightly and then blitz with a whisk until smooth, or, if preferred, leave it chunky for a more rustic feel! Sometimes I put it through a sieve to remove the tomato seeds but this is optional.

Serve with a herb garnish or a swirl of creme fraiche:

It is delicious with fresh bread (I'm told!) and will freeze perfectly well until needed.