This is such an easy, filling, comforting soup. Yes, it is probably healthier than actual Heinz tomato soup, and it's not much harder or slower to prepare than the real thing either. It's quite disarming as to how close this tastes to the real deal, but you will feel more full, and your kids will be a bit more vegged-up than with the real deal. To increase the fat content for children, serve with a swirl of cream and well-buttered bread.
I can't claim the original recipe, but I think it should be more widely known, and this is my "in a pinch" variation.
You will need:
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of sliced carrots
1 tin of baked beans
A slosh of vinegar
2 tsps Marigold (obvs, wouldn't be my cooking without it!)
I bought the 3 main ingredients on the way home from school in our corner shop and it came to under £1.50. this served 5 hungry people.
I made this extra hands-free and simple by using my Lakeland MultiChef (heated blender/cooker) but you can either blend and heat or heat and blend, with a normal saucepan and your preference of blender - whatever is easier for you!
Method:
1) Open all 3 tins.
2) Drain the carrots.
3) Don't drain the other 2.
4) Lightly spray the pan/MultiChef with cooking spray.
5) Empty the tins into the pan/blender.
6) Add the Marigold and half fill the tomato tin with water, swirl to get the bits and juices and pour in also.
7) If using a MultiChef or ThermoMix or similar, follow the instructions for a similar soup.
My method was to heat to 90°, blend speed 3 and cook for 10 mins. It probably didn't need that long.
If using a standard blender, whizz it up and then pour into a pan and warm through til hot.
Alternatively, simmer the contents of the tin in a large saucepan and then use a stick blender to make it smooth.
8) Finally, add a slosh of vinegar. I used some of the vinegar from a jar of silver skin pickled onions. This is because the original Slimming World well-known recipe uses a few actual pickled onions, but we had run out -until but had kept the vinegar. When we made it with the pickled onions before, I actually found they didn't blend brilliantly, so I actually preferred the taste and texture when just using the vinegar! Stir it through until well mixed in, and be sure the soup is hot when you serve.