If you hate this cold Australian winter and want to escape into the European sun but can’t, Mary Valle has the perfect Mediterranean lifestyle recipes that will have you feeling like you’ve just traveled to Greece, Italy, France and beyond from the comfort of your own home.
Just to give you a little taste of her Mediterranean magic we’ve got her exclusive tomato and basil soup that we know you’ll be coming back for more of her delicious recipes.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
olive oil1 kg (approx. 2 lb)
ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 teaspoons tomato paste (concentrate)
2 teaspoons sugar salt and pepper, to taste handful of basil, chopped
Method
1. In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and combine.
3. Add 1 liter (2 pints) of water, tomato paste and sugar and stir well.
4. Season with the salt and pepper and the basil, reserving a few leaves to sprinkle over the soup before serving.
5. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
6. Pour into bowls, sprinkle with some of the saved basil leaves and serve immediately with fresh crusty bread
Mediterranean Lifestyle Cooking is now available for purchase.