Tomato and oregano soup with feta and black beans

The serving suggestions here are quite lengthy, but it’s absolutely worth it for the delicious flavour.

SERVES 4 PREP 5 MINS COOK 30 MINS

✱ 4tbsp olive oil

✱ 2 onions, finely chopped

✱ 2 celery sticks, finely diced

✱ ½tsp salt

✱ 7 garlic cloves, finely chopped

✱ 2tbsp chipotle in adobo, finely chopped (or use chipotle paste or 1tsp smoked paprika and chilli powder or flakes, to taste)

✱ 2tbsp concentrated tomato puree

✱ 400g tomatoes, peeled or 1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes

✱ 3 bay leaves, scrunched a little

✱ 400g tin black beans, rinsed and drained

✱ 800ml chicken stock or water, plus extra if needed To serve:

✱ 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and diced

✱ 100g soured cream

✱ 100g feta, crumbled

✱ ½ small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

✱ 80g corn tortilla chips, crushed

✱ 1–2 jalapeño chillies, thinly sliced

✱ Hot sauce

✱ 1 lime, cut into wedges

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, celery and salt and cook for 10–12 mins, until the onions are browning. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins more.

2 Add the chipotles (plus any liquid), tomato puree, tomatoes and bay leaves and cook for 10–15 mins, until the mixture is rich and thick.

3 Add the black beans and stock/water and bring the liquid to a boil. Add a splash more stock/water, depending on how thick you’d like the soup to be. Season to taste.

4 Remove the soup from the heat. Discard the bay leaves, then use a stick blender (or remove a portion and blend that before adding it back to the pan) and partially blend.

5 Serve the soup in bowls, dividing the toppings between them, and add the hot sauce and lime to taste.

Per serving: 535 cals, 33g fat

(11g saturated), 35g carbohydrates

This sauce is a variation of classic pesto from Sicily; it’s simple to make at home, pretty much in the time it takes for the pasta to boil.

SERVES 4 PREP 5 MINS COOK 10 MINS

✱ 40g skinned whole almonds, toasted in a dry pan until golden

✱ 1–2 garlic cloves, chopped

✱ ½ small bunch of basil, leaves picked

✱ 350g peeled tomatoes, deseeded and quartered

✱ 80ml good olive oil

✱ 400g pasta of choice

✱ Pecorino, finely grated, to serve (optional)

1 In a food processor, combine the toasted almonds, with the garlic and basil and pulse until well combined in a coarse rubble.

2 Add the tomatoes and blitz briefly to break them down and loosen the pesto. Stir through the olive oil, then check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Put to one side.

3 To serve, cook the pasta according to the pack instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving a little of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan and stir through the Trapanese sauce, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen if needed. Sprinkle with a little grated pecorino to serve, if liked.

Per serving: 572 cals, 22g fat

(3g saturated), 75g carbohydrates

Tomatoes and aubergine partner well in many cuisines. This salad is based on zaalouk, a Moroccan dish that’s popular throughout North Africa.

SERVES 4 PREP 5 MINS COOK 40 MINS

✱ 1 large aubergine

✱ 3tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve

✱ 1 onion, finely diced

✱ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

✱ 400g tomatoes, roughly chopped or

1 x 400g can of plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

✱ 1tbsp tomato puree

✱ 1tsp ground cumin

✱ A big pinch of dried chilli flakes, plus more to taste

✱ 1tsp unsmoked paprika (sweet or hot)

✱ Small bunch of coriander, leaves picked and roughly chopped, to serve

1 Set the grill to high, or set the aubergine directly over a gas flame (or hot coals if you have the barbecue on). Cook the aubergine until the skin is fully blackened and the flesh is completely soft and collapsed (about 15 mins). Remove from the heat and leave until cool enough to peel. Discard the skin.

2 Heat the olive oil in a pan (one with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 mins, until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 mins more, then add the tomatoes, puree, spices and season well. Reduce the heat to medium–low, cover, and cook for 10–15 mins, until rich and thick.

3 Roughly chop the cooled aubergine, then stir the pieces into the tomato sauce to combine. Cook gently for a further 3 mins, to fully heat through – the aubergine will turn the sauce thick and creamy. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary, along with chilli flakes, to taste. Remove the mixture from the heat.

4 Spoon the tomatoes and aubergine onto a plate, top with the chopped coriander leaves and more olive oil, then divide between four bowls. Serve with flatbreads, if you like.

Per serving: 151 cals, 12g fat

(2g saturated), 8g carbohydrates