Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 x 400g can tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp tomato purée/paste
• 1 tsp herb seasoning blend such as pizza seasoning
• stock cube or pot (vegetable or chicken)
• black pepper and salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or a little butter)
• juice of half a lemon

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the slow cooker to high and dump the canned tomatoes in the pot so that they start to warm. Rinse the cans with a little water and add the water to the pot.

2. 2

   Trim, peel and chop the vegetables. You don't need to worry about precise cutting as this is a blended soup.

3. 3

   Putt he vegetables in the slow cooker and add the tomato paste and seasoning blend. Add the stock cube or pot. Boil the kettle and add two cups of boiling water to the pot (this speeds up the cooking).

4. 4

   Cook on high 4 hours or low for 6 until all the vegetables are soft.

5. 5

   Blend the soup to a smooth consistency. The easiest way to do this is with a stick/immersion blender.

6. 6

   Adjust the seasoning to taste. I like to stir in a little oil or butter for a velvety finish, and some lemon juice for a brighter flavour. Serve hot or chilled with your favourite garnishes.