Recipe below uses tomato Passata or original recipe by James Martin uses a can of chopped tomatoes, pasta and lentils. Our version has no lentils or pasta – more a vegetable soup than minestrone.
Passata could be made using Mediterranean tomatoes from a shop/market. We used home grown cherry tomatoes.
To make Passata, we put large amount of washed tomatoes without stalks into a big saucepan, let them simmer until soft, then remove pips and skin with a sieve and freeze. This will last frozen for about 3-4 months. Use as base for sauce for spaghetti with an onion.
Oatbran – You can buy in Tescos.
Most of the rest of ingredients – you will probably already have and making the rolls is easy, taste best warm. Add and adapt to the recipes
Ingredients for Minestrone Soup
3 Carrots – Peeled and thinly sliced
1 Onion – Chopped
2 Leeks – Trimmed and sliced
2 Cloves Garlic – peeled and finely chopped
2 Spoons of Tomato Puree
1 Tub of Tomato Passata (or can of chopped tomatoes)
1 Vegetable Stock Cube in 2 Pints of water
Some butter
Method
1. Put carrots, leeks and onion in some butter in large saucepan for about 10 minutes on low heat
2. Add tomato puree, garlic, tub of tomato Passata, stock cube + 2 pints of water
3. Bring to the boil then turn heat down to very low and simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables are soft and bread rolls ready
Ingredients for Bread Rolls
15 g packet of active yeast
Small spoon of sugar
300 mls of water (slightly warm)
500 g of plain flour
Little bit of butter
Small amount of salt
Some oatbran
Method
- Prepare yeast mixture – Pour packet of yeast into 300 mls of tepid water in a jug with small spoon of sugar. Leave somewhere warm for about 15 minutes or until frothy
- Measure out 500gs of plain flour – we added a small amount of oatbran to make up to 500gs (for flavor) and sieved using a large plastic or glass mixing bowl for kneeding
- Add small amount of salt
- Rub with finger tips a little bit of butter into the flour
- When the yeast liquid is ready, pour into the center of flour and first bring togethor using a spoon – this is to avoid sticky hands
- Then kneed dough by hand for 5-10 minutes, until an imprint of your thumb springs back, The dough will feel smooth and elastic
- Leave the dough for about an hour, somewhere warm covering the bowl with a damp tea towel or cling film
- After this time, take the dough out of the bowl onto a clean floured baking tray with some oatbran – kneed a little bit – then divide into 6 or 8 parts depending on how big you like rolls to be. Shape into rolls with your hand and cover again with cling film and leave in a warm place for another 30 minutes. While the rolls are proving for second time, turn on your oven to about 210 degrees C. You can add a tray of water at the bottom of your oven – if you like the crust to be extra crispy.
- When the rolls have proved, use a knife and make small horizontal cut in each one and scatter more oatbran on the top – place baking tray with rolls into the oven for about 15 -20 minutes until rolls are brown and sound hollow when you tap the bottom
- Remove from oven onto wire cooling tray for few minutes until you are able to cut open and add little bit of butter and eat with your soup
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