astray recipes: Tomato, orange and celery soup

Categories: Weight watc; Soups; Starters
Yield: 4 Servings

Measure	Ingredient
4 ounces	Potato, peeled and diced
1 clove	Garlic crushed
1	Celery stick, chopped
1 large	Carrot, diced
1½ pounds	Ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters
1 tablespoon	Tomato puree
	Juice Of 1/2 medium-size orange
¾ pint	Vegetable stock
1 teaspoon	Dried basil
	Salt and freshly ground black pepper
	Thin strips of blanched orange rind, to garnish
1 tablespoon	Olive oil
1	Onion, chopped

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Freezing: recommended for up to 3 months

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, potato, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 3 minutes more, stirringg constantly.

Add the tomato puree, orange juice, vegetable stock and basil. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, Pass the soup through a sieve to extract skins and pips. Check the seasoning before reheating gently, Serve garnished with the blanched orange rind.

Cook's note: to blanch the orange rind, cover thin strips of peel with boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes and then drain through a sieve. The same can be done with other citrus fruits such as lemons, limes or grapefruit.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

tomato, orange and celery soup