New Covent Garden Soup of the Month competition : 'A taste of the Med'

A couple of months ago, I told you about New Covent Garden's Soup of the Month competition where they are asking for you to get creative in the kitchen and send in your most original soup recipes, adhering to the theme of the month. I've sent in a couple - a Warming Ginger Carrot Soup (here) for "Recovery" and a Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot Spicy Nacho Soup (here) for Valentine"s Day. They loved the Hot Nacho soup idea so much that they sent me a fabulous Cuisinart Soup Maker that has been getting a serious workout in the Madhouse kitchen !

This month's theme is A Taste of The Med. My offering is below but make sure you head over to their website to send in a recipe too !

Rustic Mediterranean Olive & Bean Soup

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 can cannellini beans

1 tin red kidney beans

6 large tomatoes, cut in quarters

1 courgette, chopped into chunks

100g black olives, pitted

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 green pepper, chopped and deseeded

200g spicy chorizo, sliced

chicken stock

tomato puree (or harissa paste)

Place the tomato, courgette, red and green pepper and onion in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place under a hot grill for 15 minutes until the edges start to look slightly charred (but not totally burnt !)

In a large pan, gently fry the garlic in olive oil. Add the chorizo and heat through until it starts to release its flavour into the oil. Add the beans, stir through, add the grilled vegetables, stir again.

Add a tablespoon full of tomato puree (or harissa paste to add a slight kick). Add enough chicken stock to cover the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer for two hours, serve as it is for a chunky stew or blend for a smooth serve. Serve with crusty bread.

for more information : http://www.newcoventgardensoup.com/articles/soup-month-blog/taste-of-the-med

Other blogposts you may be interested in :

The Madhouse creates a potential New Covent Garden Soup of the month !

 New Covent Garden's Soup of the Month competition - Recovery