TOMATO SOUP AND PESTO CIGARS

Serves 6 • Preparation: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 30ml olive oil

• 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

• 2 carrots, grated

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 tins (400g each) tomato purée

• 500ml vegetable stock

• 15ml sugar

• 10ml dried Italian herbs

• 1 tin (400g) white beans

• 1 tin (400g) speckled beans

• fresh basil, to serve

PESTO CIGARS

• 12 slices store-bought white bread

• basil pesto

• 4 slices smoked ham, diced

• 12 sticks Cheddar cheese, 1cm thick and 5cm long

• butter for pan-frying

1 Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the onion, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes until glossy. Fry for another minute to brown.

Stir in the rest of the soup ingredients (not the basil) and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. 2 Using a stick blender, blend half (if you like a little texture) or all (if you prefer it smooth) of the soup. Simmer for a little longer, while you make the pesto bread cigars.

3 Cut off the crusts and roll the slices flat with a rolling pin. Spread one side of each slice with pesto, sprinkle the diced ham on top, then roll the bread slice around a stick of cheese.

4 Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then fry the rolls slowly until crisp on the outside with melted cheese on the inside. Sprinkle the basil over the soup and serve hot with the cigars.