Old Dutch Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 600ml chicken stock
• 1 piece of bacon or ham rind
• 1 onion
• 1 small carrot
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 250g tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 salt & pepper
• 80g brown sugar
• 80ml malt vinegar
• 1 slice wholegrain bread

METHOD:

1. Make the stock yourself or use bouillon cubes or ready made stock.
2. Finely chop the onion and dice the carrot.
3. Cut the rind in small pieces and quickly fry it for a minute in a dry skillet.
4. Add the butter or olive oil and sauté the onion and carrots.
5. When the onions are transparent, sprinkle in the flour, stir and allow it to cook for a few minutes. Bit by bit pour in the stock, stirring throughout. Keep on stirring until the soup thickens.
6. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the soup, together with the bay leaf (take it out before serving) and let the soup simmer just short of boiling.
7. Boil and reduce brown sugar and malt vinegar Pour into soup
8. Put the soup through a (rotary) food sieve or food mill and add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with crisp, wholegrain bread.