TOMATO SOUP WITH BASIL DUMPLINGS

PREP + COOK TIME 9 HOURS + COOLING SERVES 4

1kg ripe roma tomatoes, cored

400g can whole tomatoes

½ cup (125ml) vegetable stock

(recipe on page 33)

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 medium brown onions (300g),

quartered

1 fresh long red chilli,

chopped coarsely

1 stalk celery (150g), trimmed,

chopped coarsely

1 cup (200g) drained roasted red

capsicum, chopped coarsely

¼ cup loosely packed fresh small basil

leaves or micro basil, to serve

BASIL DUMPLINGS

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

60g cold butter, chopped

1 egg, beaten lightly

2 tablespoons basil pesto 2 tablespoons milk, approximately

1 Place whole and canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, garlic, onion, chilli, celery and capsicum in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker. Cook, covered, on Low for 7 hours.

2 Cool soup for 10 minutes.

Using a stick blender, blend soup until smooth. Season to taste.

3 Make basil dumpling mixture.

4 Carefully drop level tablespoons of the basil dumpling mixture, about 2cm apart, on top of soup. Cook, covered, on Low for 1 hour or until dumplings are firm to touch and cooked through.

5 Serve soup with dumplings. Sprinkle with basil.

BASIL DUMPLINGS

Place flour in a medium bowl; using your fingertips, rub in butter. Stir in egg, pesto and enough of the milk to make a soft, sticky dough.

“Basil pesto can really liven up so many dishes. Here, it adds a freshness burst to the dumplings, complementing the rich tomato flavour of the soup.” Kathleen Davis, Senior Food Editor, AWW Cookbooks