As the temperatures take a dip and we brace for more chilly days ahead, there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soup to fend off the cold.
Jamie Oliver has just the answer for those craving a comforting, yet swift culinary fix – a soul-warming pot that demands minimal time chained to the stove.
His 15-minute meals series is brimming with quick-fix solutions from hearty dinners to midday bites, including his sumptuously simple Mexican Tomato Soup.
Inspired by the heartwarming dishes he encountered among Mexican communities in the US, where tomato soup is often a staple, Jamie added his unique twist, keen to spread a little culinary sunshine in the midst of drab winter days.
Keen to inject some sunny vibes back into the British culinary scene, Jamie whipped up a delightful Mexican-inspired soup as on his YouTube recipe reveal, stating: “I wanted to bring a little bit of sunshine back to Essex today and make a lovely Mexican soup.”
Setting the scene for his recipe, Jamie instructs: “So we’ve got four spring onion, just hack these up roughly, any old how.” Quick to move things along, he’s into the pan, explaining: “In the pan, we’re going to use two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. We’ve got no time to much about here, so straight in with frying.”
With his trademark enthusiasm, Jamie then adds a burst of flavour with coriander stalks, carefully saving the leaves for a later flourish. Next up are four cloves of garlic, utilising a time-saving hack of squashing them with their skins on in a garlic press before squeezing directly into the pan.
For those without a press, Jamie suggests simply crushing and then roughly chopping the garlic with the flat side of a knife. Jamie continues: “A brilliant trick for a really sun-bushed flavour is these [blackened, roaster peppers]. Add 450g, just chuck the whole thing in.”
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Next, add two tins of chopped tomatoes and approximately 800ml of boiling water to the pan and turn up high. Season with some salt and pepper before applying another of Jamie’s clever techniques.
The chef reveals: “I have another little trick, 80g of rice. When you liquidise that up its gonna go starchy and creamy. There you go, all of that, lid on. Soup is done and I can guarantee you it’ll be delicious”
Moving on, Jamie focuses on the side dish. “So I’ve got some green and red chilli’s here, the spring onions from earlier and also feta cheese – 30g, just crumbs it up.”
The TV chef also incorporates the coriander leaves from earlier and a few halved cherry tomatoes to create a side salad. Then add 175g of tortilla chips to an oven dish before grating 50g of cheddar cheese on top, sprinkling over the remaining red and green chilies. Bake the tortillas at 200C for three or four minutes.
Next, prepare a fragrant, flavoured yoghurt to drizzle over the soup. Jamie enthuses: “It’s so good. Add 250ml of yoghurt, 0% fat, and mint. That goes straight in. I want two heaped teaspoons of these Jalapeños and we’re just going to liquidise this all up so it is like a green, green sauce.”
Finally, return your attention to your soup, blending to your preference, before seasoning with some lime.
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