I am very strict with myself when it comes to cooking.
Pre made sauces, seasoning packets, cake mixes and all of that lark really get to me and I don’t use them at all, if you’re going to cook you might as well REALLY cook.
Of course, things that would take hours and hours to make or would cost a lot more to make than to buy like good custard, butter, jams and things like that are certainly not beyond me though it would be nice to make them now and again! Damn the price of fruit today!
Anyway, I mention all this because this recipe is highly unusual for me and it is the kind of recipe I usually despise people giving out.
Yes, my recipe includes canned soup.
Now, going by the principle mentioned earlier, it would cost a lot more to make cream of tomato soup and though it would be a lot nicer the cream and tomatoes alone are something I cannot afford right now.
Of course, feel free to make some beautiful tomato soup and then go along with my recipe as follows, it really tasted nothing like a can of soup when I was done and the pasta stretches just one can of soup into a meal for two.
The cheesy croutons are a little luxury, though they don’t need to have cheese, they’re delicious simply toasted!
Orzo Pasta Soup with Cheesy Croutons
Serves 2
Ingredients
400g tin cream of tomato soup
100g orzo pasta
2 tablespoons dried basil or 4 of fresh chopped fine
470ml water
2 tablespoons beef gravy granules
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 slices bread
Olive oil or vegetable oil to cover
Grated cheddar cheese to taste (a blend of hard cheeses would be delicious)
Method
Place the soup, pasta and water into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the basil (if dried, if fresh add at the end), soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and turn the heat down to a simmer, stirring all the time.
Turn the grill on at half heat and place the bread spread on one side with olive oil on a baking tray into the grill.
After a few minutes, turn the heat up to turn the bread golden brown.
Turn the bread over, spread over oil again and cook until golden.
Add the beef gravy granules to the soup once the pasta has cooked and stir, simmering on a low heat for a few minutes until thick.
Meanwhile cut the toasted bread into squares, place back on baking tray and grate over cheese.
Turn the grill off and leave the cheese to melt while you serve the soup.
When the soup is dished out, take a handful of cheesy toasty croutons and add them to the top of the soup, serve!