As you may be aware by now, I’m a big eater of hummus. I make a huge batch every week to sell but always keep extra for myself. Whenever my friends come to visit, I always have a bowl ready and waiting in the fridge to whip out for their eating pleasure. One of my favourite flavours of hummus is roasted red pepper, which is why it’s surprising that I have taken so long to share this recipe with you. I was eating it by the truckload earlier in the summer when red peppers were in season.

I first made the bagel chips one night when I knew the girls were coming over, we had no tortillas in the freezer for me to make into chips and I knew they would be expecting something a little bit more special than a bag of crisps from the shop. As I frantically looked through the cupboards I came across a bag of bagels which desperately needed to be used. I sliced them up and cooked them and they were absolutely delicious. The perfect accompaniment to the red pepper hummus.

Ingredients

Hummus

400g of Chickpeas (soaked weight)

A large bunch of cilantro

2-4 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of cumin

1-2 lemons

1-2 tablespoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

3-4 red peppers (bell pepper)

Tahini

100ml of olive oil

3-5 cloves garlic

100g of sesame seeds

Bagel Chips

2 bagels

3 tabelspoons of olive oil

Salt

1 tablespoon of rosemary (or other mixed herbs)

Directions

The first thing you need to do is soak your chickpeas. This can take between 6 hours to overnight. The longer the better in my opinion. After they have been soaked, you need to cook them. This can take a while. I usually cook mine in the rice cooker because you don’t have to top up the water as often and they won’t burn. If not you can cook them in a pan of water, they will take between 2-3 hours. Or you can skip this step and buy a can. When your chick peas are done, drain them but make sure you keep hold of that water, you will need it for the hummus.

The next step is to blend the chickpeas, you may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. If they are too hard to blend, use a little of the hummus water to get things going. Some like their hummus chunky and rugged others like it smooth and silky, so blend until you get the consistency you’re happy with. If you want want an ultra silky hummus then peel off all of the skins of the chick peas before blending. It’s a pain in the ass so I never do it. Also my hummus is generally made in industrial style batches so it would probably take me a month to do it, plus I’m very lazy.

You can buy tahini in the foreign food mart in Itaewon and on iHerb and various other stores. It’s also very easy to make. Just place the garlic, sesame seeds, and olive oil in a blender and blend for a few minutes until the seeds have been pulverized.

Once the chick peas are blended place in a large bowl and stir in the tahini and lemon juice. Then the salt, pepper and cumin. Hummus is a very personal food, so start by adding a little of each at a time until you get a taste you’re happy with. A lot of factors can affect the taste of hummus so you rarely use the exact same amount of each ingredient every time. I always get the best results when the chick peas are warm.

To make the hummus red pepper flavoured, drizzle the peppers with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until the edges are charred and the flesh is soft. Pop them in the blender with a little olive oil and blend until you have a paste, then stir it  into the hummus. Use as much or as little as you need.

To make the bagel chips, cut the bagels into 5mm slices then arrange on a baking tray. Drizzle the slices with olive oil then sprinkle on the salt and herbs. Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until they are brown on one side, then flip them over and cook for a few minutes of the other side. Serve with your favourite hummus and enjoy. Voilà red pepper hummus and bagel chips.

Ah hummus, there is nothing like a big tub with pita bread or chips while watching a movie. Sadly too many people in Korea, are living a life without hummus. I can’t bear to think about the suffering that some of you have to bear, constantly longing for this delicious yet healthy dip. For those living in and around Itaewon, finding hummus is no problem at all. You can even buy my hummus if you are lucky enough to live in Hae Bang Chon. But what about everyone else? You can make your own of course, check out my recipes here or here. But for some, all that soaking and blending is just too much hard work. You shouldn’t  be deprived  of all that chickpea goodness just because your lazy. Don’t worry salvation is here in the form of Hummus In Korea.

Hummus in Korea, delivers hummus directly to your door. Luckily for us delivery companies are setting up all the time, bringing us more and more of the foods  that we miss from home. So now you can have your hummus delivered, and eat it too. So it was about time I got to try some of this fabulous hummus. Coming in 6 delicious flavours (garlic, red pepper, olive, egg plant, jalapeno and spicy),  there is something for everyone. Prices vary between 5,550 – 7,000. You can buy packs of 4 (24,000) to save money or just choose your favourites.

I’m not going to lie, I tried five. After all, fat girls don’t get fat by just choosing one flavour. They were all good, but here are my favourite 3.

My top spot is a close call but I would have to give it to the roasted red pepper. A glorious orange colour and delicious taste of roasted red peppers throughout. Couldn’t get enough of this one. It was just as tasty as I hoped it would be.

Second place was surprisingly jalapeno heaven. It was the one I was least looking forward to, and thought I could just palm it off on my boyfriend. However after one fingerful, I knew he wouldn’t be getting any. It had the essence and flavour of jalapeno without being too hot or spicy. It was perfectly mild and delicious. In fact I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since and will have to try having a go at making my own. Be sure to add this one to your order.

My third favourite was probably the crazy for garlic. The regular hummus we all know and love with extra garlic. It was well balanced and the garlic was not at all over bearing, like some can be.

To make things even better for you, hummus in Korea sell pita bread too. Sold in packs of 1 for 1,500 or 3 for 4,000 don’t forget to add a few to your order.

Fat girl I hear you cry, how can we get our hands on this wondrous hummus? Well here’s how. Click here to get to the website, fill out the form and click place order. Do a simple bank transfer to pay and sit back and relax while you wait for your delicious delivery. Delivery costs 4,500 and they deliver  Tuesday- Friday and it generally takes between 24-48 hours. Pretty cool right. Visit the website for more details and to place orders.

Another day another cupcake store. Oh how I enjoy a tiny cake or six. They are so perfect I could eat about 50 given a chance. Last week when my good friend Susan took me out for my birthday dinner to Deli Heinzburg, (review coming soon) to celebrate my birthday. En route we passed this adorable little store and I couldn’t contain my excitement and had to venture in for cupcake or two for dessert. (Ok, I had three, but it was my birthday. Technically I had 3, and half of Susan’s, but it was my birthday and hangover Monday).

My first and possibly favourite cupcake was the Orange (4,500). A delicious orange flavoured cupcake with an orange Swiss meringue butter cream, at least it tasted like Swiss meringue butter cream. It was light, moist, and full of fruity flavour. It was also topped with a delightful macaroon.

My next choice was a strawberry cupcake (4,500). Once again a lovely strawberry cupcake, topped with a strawberry frosting. I really like the frosting here, its light and sweet and creamy. Although usually my usual frosting of choice is butter cream this one still hits the spot. They have a good ratio of frosting to cake.

Third choice was my usual favourite the red velvet (4,500). The cake was very rich and chocolatey and the frosting was lovely and light. Still not the best red velvet I have had in Seoul but it was pretty damn good. I’m pretty sure I would get this one again, as the macaroon is so nice. They also had mini layered red velvet cakes which I would like to try next time too.

Susan ordered the Carrot cupcake  (4,500) A carrot and cinnamon sponge with raisins in, which I could have lived without. The frosting was nice though and it was topped with an adorable carrot made from fondant. Susan gave it the thumbs up and if you like carrot cake I am sure it wouldn’t disappoint.

As well as the large variety of cupcakes they also sell macaroons, coffee, and other drinks. The also have a loyalty card, buy 10 get one free. In true glutinous style we tried to ask for a free service cupcake but they politely refused despite the lateness of the hour. Gentle lady Cupcakes is located at 533-14 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa station (line 3). Come out of exit 8 and walk straight until you get to Tous Le Jours and make a left. Keep walking straight along that road until you reach the Fossil store. Take a left just after and you should see Gentle Lady Cupcake on your right.You can also call them on 02-790-0259 if my directions are less than perfect.

With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to try and improve my decorating skills by making a batch of heart shaped cookies. I do enjoy a theme and I am especially fond of Valentines Day. So to spread my love and cheer. I made these for my lovely coworkers.

Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

200g of all pupose flour

1/4 of a teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 stick of butter (128g)

100g of white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Royal icing

1 egg white

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

200g of icing sugar

Directions

In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a second bowl,  beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in centre of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or just butter them up.

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.)  Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you can sprinkle the unbaked cookies with sparkling sugar.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours or overnight.)

To make the royal icing, beat the egg white with the lemon juice until they have quadrupled in volume. Add the sifted sugar and beat on low speed until smooth. If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more sugar or water. Add food coloring, if desired. You will need to split your icing into several different contains and add all the different colors you are planning to use. The icing needs to be used immediately or put in an airtight container as it hardens when exposed to air.

Pipe a line of icing around the outside of your cookie and allow it to set. Thin the icing a little while you are waiting for it to dry then apply a second coating in the middle of your cookie. This should be runnier and hence why it is called flood icing. If you are wanting to make cookies like me then you need to let each different color set before moving on to the next one. I saved the heart with the decorations for last. If you are stuck for ideas about how to decorate your cookies then try looking on Pinterest for inspiration. It’s amazing what some people can do with an icing bag.

So I am continuing my mission to make lots of lovely Valentine’s Day inspired recipes. I am extra happy about this one because I got to use my new pasta machine too (아싸!) Pasta is very popular in my house these days and what could be cuter than heart-shaped ravioli. I was considering making a love soup recipe with lots of vegetables cut into heart shapes when I suddenly realized I could make ravioli instead. I chose beef for the filling here, pretty much because I had some in the freezer but you do whatever you like. Although I think a cheese filling would be easier to fill. You can use any sauce you like. I decided to make a red pepper and tomato one to make it a little different for you. Plus red is the colour of love.

Ingredients

Pasta

250g of all-purpose flour (I use the one for noodles and dumplings)

3 eggs

A pinch of salt

Filling

200g of minced beef

1/2 an onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

3-4 tablespoons of red pepper and tomato sauce.

1 tablespoon of Worcester sauce

A pinch of salt and pepper

Sauce

4-5 red peppers

3 tomatoes

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Directions

The first step is to make the pasta dough. Mix the salt with the flour then make a heap on a clean flat surface. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in your beaten eggs. I haven’t taken any pictures of these steps, as I’m sure you have seen it countless times before. Stir the egg gradually incorporating the flour from the sides of the circle a bit at a time so the well keeps its shape until the last moment. When all the flour has been mixed in you should have a lump of dough. Knead this dough for 5-10 minutes until it is elastic and has some stretch to it. Wrap it in cling-film and store it in the fridge for 30 minutes. While you are waiting you can make the sauce.

To make the filling, finely chop the onion and garlic and fry off in a little olive oil until it is translucent. Add the mince and cook until it has all browned. Add the mixed herbs and Worcester sauce and a few tablespoons of the tomato red pepper sauce. Mix thoroughly and leave to cool.

To make the sauce, split the red peppers in half, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. When they are done put them in a bowl and cover with it with cling film and leave it for about 10 minutes. Once the peppers have cooled in the bowl it should be easy to remove the skins. Discard the skins. Put your skinned peppers, a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and your tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. You may also wish to add a sprinkling of salt and a spoonful of sugar too. Put the sauce in a saucepan and heat until it starts to boil.

After the dough has been chilled properly you can begin to roll it out. It’s a good idea to separate your lump of dough into 2 or 3 pieces and work with one piece at a time. Put the unused lumps back in the fridge so they don’t dry out. If you have a pasta maker rolling the dough should be quick and easy. If not roll those sleeves up and get out your rolling-pin. The pasta really does need to be wafer thin, so when you think its thin enough, keep rolling. I read on-line that it should be thin enough so that you can see a playing card underneath the dough. The thinner your pasta the better it will taste. Even if the pasta is a little thick it’s not the end of the world but the skinnier ones were definitely far tastier than the fatter ones.

Once your dough has been rolled out, use your cutter to cut out the heart shapes. Place a small spoon of filling on the centre then brush around the edges with beaten egg. Put another heart on top and press all the way around the edges to seal. Repeat until all of your little hearts have been made. Store them on a floured board to let them dry out for 30 minutes. Make sure they are not touching so they don’t stick together.

When your hears are ready to cook. Place them in batches in a boiling pot of salted water with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the top. You may wish to try one to make sure they are done. When all of your hearts are done. Top with the sauce and some freshly grated parmesan. Voilà adorably cute heart-shaped ravioli. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

I have been making lots of Valentine’s Day themed recipes lately. For me nothing says I love you like a big pile of cupcakes. Incidentally if I have any secret admirers out there then a batch of these babies could be just the ticket to win my girlish heart. They are red, tasty, and everyone loves cake. I whipped up some to handout to my co-workers and they went down rather well. Had I had the foresight to buy some I would have made them extra special by topping them with the heart shaped sprinkles you can buy at the bakers mart. However let’s be fair here it’s the cake that counts. Mine are also displayed in some very adorable union jack cupcake cases my lovely mummy sent me for Christmas.

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake

250g of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (dutch or regular)

113g or one stick of butter

300g white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of buttermilk (just put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup of normal milk and leave for five minutes)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (Foreign food mart or Bangsan market)

2 tablespoons of red food coloring (Foreign food mart or Bangsan market)

1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar (foreign food mart)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

White Chocolate Butter Cream

113g of butter (1 stick, room temperature)

150g cream cheese (philadelphia)

150g of white chocolate

250g of icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to about 185 degrees Celsius. Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well, either with an electric mixer or by hand, then add the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add one third of the flour mix into the butter and sugar and fold in with a metal spoon in a figure of 8 movement (do not whisk). Add the red food coloring to the buttermilk then add half of it to the cake mix. Stir together then add another third of the flour. Mix in the second half of the buttermilk then finish with the last third of the flour. In a cup mix together the vinegar and the baking soda then quickly add it to the cake mix and stir thoroughly. Next put the mixture straight into the cupcake cases and bake for around 10-15 minutes or until they are spongy to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. When all the cupcakes are done leave them to cool before frosting them.

To make the butter-cream melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir and leave to cool slightly. Beat together the butter and the cream cheese. When the chocolate is still melted but not hot (you don’t want to melt the butter) add to the butter and cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract and stir in the icing sugar until the butter-cream has thickened to the right consistency. Leave at room temperature. If you put it into the fridge it will set and make it hard to frost the cupcakes. If you have a piping bag and nozzle then use these to decorate them, they look much better than if you just use a regular knife. Decorate with sprinkles if you like. Voilà red velvet cupcakes, the perfect way to share your love this Valentine’s Day.

The Flying Pan is a quite well-known brunch spot in Itaewon. The quality of food here speaks for itself and that’s why you will always find a group of people waiting for a table if you pay them a visit on the weekend. Despite it’s popularity it’s still a reasonably well-kept secret to lots of foreigners, especially those from out-of-town. This is one of, if not the best place, to get brunch in Itaewon.

The menu’s are listed on cute faux newspapers, which I find especially quaint. The menu consists of traditional brunch fare, eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, salads, and desserts etc.

I ordered the Flying pan breakfast 16,000. I have had it before and knew it was good. Luckily it lived up to all my expectations and was even better than I remembered. The potatoes were coated in a glorious dressing, I could have eaten so many more. The  pesto toast was well done and full of flavour. The poached egg was cooked to perfection and there was a generous amount of mushrooms on the plate. As well as all this there was also some spinach and hummus. Poached eggs on toast with mushrooms cooked in butter is my favourite breakfast. With eggs Florentine coming a close second. I rarely get the chance to eat a mushroom laden breakfast here in Korea so this one really hit the spot. Everything on my plate was perfect. I died and went to heaven!

Niall ordered the Eggs Avocado, 16,000. Two perfectly poached eggs on top of smoked salmon, avocado and toasted bread. The eggs were great, so was the salmon and avocado. His only complaint was the salad leaves. As you can see in the picture the stalks were extremely long and made it hard to eat this dish. They really should have been trimmed off. It also could have done with some salad dressing. Although he liked this dish he said next time he’s going for the Eggs Benedict with salmon.

I only have one small gripe about this place, well actually two. The drinks are over priced, 7,000 for a glass of shit coffee are you crazy? Go and get a real coffee while you’re waiting and bring it in with you. There’s also no Bloody Mary on the menu, although there is wine. Otherwise this is pretty much my perfect breakfast.

The Flying Pan Blue is located at 123-7 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Take a train to Itaewon station (line 6) and come out of exit two. Walk straight and take the first left. The flying pan is just on your right after the fur coat store and a Thai restaurant. You can call them on 02-793-5285. They also have locations in Sinsadong and Gangnam. The Flying Pan White, 540-22 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 02 514 5585. The Flying Pan Red,  GT Tower B1 1317-23 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul,  02-590-2488.

Who would have thought it, me and my toaster oven are capable of making a fully formed cake. To celebrate my 100th post I baked myself this amazingly good (even if i do say so myself) red velvet cake. This is the first time I have ever made red velvet cake, so I didn’t want to go messing around with the recipe. I just used the one from The Joy of Baking. I’ve been obsessed with watching “The Great British Bake Off”, lately and it sends me (or should I say Niall) hurtling off to the shops in search of ingredients for me to satisfy my baking urges. Generally baking is not my forte, I’m just too keen to tamper with the recipes which usually alters the results with sometimes disastrous consequence. However, throughout my TV marathon, I must have actually managed to learn a few things as I have really upped my game in the baking stakes. First the bread and now this marvelous cake. I have to confess that as the eater of the large majority of the cake (with a little bit of help from Niall and Tor) I think it was pretty damn good. But don’t take my word for it, have a go yourself and celebrate my 100th post with me.

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake

250g of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (dutch or regular)

113g or one stick of butter

300g white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup of buttermilk (just put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup of normal milk and leave for five minutes)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (Foreign food mart or Bangsan market)

2 tablespoons of red food coloring (Foreign food mart or Bangsan market)

1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar (foreign food mart)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

White Chocolate Butter Cream

113g of butter (1 stick, room temperature)

150g cream cheese (philadelphia)

150g of white chocolate

250g of icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions

Grease your cake tin and preheat the oven to about 185 degrees celsius. Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well, either with an electric mixer or by hand, then add the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl sift the flour cocoa powder and salt. Add one third of the flour mix into the butter and sugar and fold in with a metal spoon in a figure of 8 movement (do not whisk). Add the red food coloring to the buttermilk then add half of it to the cake mix. Stir together then add another third of the flour. Mix in the second half of the buttermilk then finish with the last third of the flour. In a cup mix together the vinegar and the baking soda then quickly add it to the cake mix and stir thoroughly. Next put the mixture straight into the cake tin and into the oven. This step helps the cake to rise.

Bake your cake for around 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake is firm but springy to the touch. When the cake is done take it out of the oven and leave it to rest for 5 minutes then remove it from your tin and allow to cool completely before wrapping in clingfilm and putting it in the fridge for about 4 hours or overnight. This will help you to slice the layers more easily. If you are too eager the cake can tear when you cut into it (as mine did).

To make the buttercream melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir and leave to cool slightly. Beat together the butter and the cream cheese. When the chocolate is still melted but not hot (you don’t want to melt the butter) add to the butter and cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the the vanilla extract and stir in the icing sugar until the butter cream has thickened to the right consistency. Leave at room temperature. If you put it into the fridge it will set and make it hard to frost the cake.

When the cake has been properly chilled, level off the top if it is not flat. Then cut the cake into two layers. Spread a thick layer of the buttercream onto the cake taking care to fill it evenly all the way up to the edges. Put your second layer on the top then put a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake, this is called a crumb coating. Put it back into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.  It doesn’t have to be perfect as mine clearly isn’t but this will make it easier to apply the second layer of frosting.

When the crumb coating has set, apply a thick layer of the buttercream all over the top and sides of the cake. I flattened the top and side of my cake using a scraper I got at Bangsan market for 1,000 won, you could also use a palette knife if you have one. I then piped little blobs all around the outside.

I topped it with strawberry rock decorations I also got at the market.Leave to chill in the fridge again for another hour and enjoy. Voilá amazing red velvet cake, my finest baking achievement to date. 

It’s the saturday before halloween and that can only mean one thing, a halloween themed cocktails. I decided I had to go for a blood colored delight. As you may or may not know I am a huge fan of any occasion where I get to dress up and make themed food and drinks. So with that in mind I present to you my blood lust cocktail, not just for vampires.

Ingredients 

50ml Raspberry Absolute

100ml ginger ale

6 strawberries (frozen)

A teaspoon of sugar

A couple drops of red food coloring

Directions

Blend the vodka, sugar and strawberries together in the blender, add the red food coloring if you want the drink to look more blood like. Pour into tumbler and top with the ginger ale. Serve and enjoy, repeat if necessary.

I was unsure about what I was going to make for dinner tonight, I was keen to make something new but I didnt know what. I decided to just go to the fruit and veg market and see if inspiration struck. It did, I couldnt belive my eyes when I saw they were selling 700g tubs of ripe tomatoes on the vine for 1,000 won (50p to those at home)I bought 3 packs. I realize that many of my recent recipes feature tomatoes but they are in season here in Korea and I’m a big fan of sesonal ingredients as they are cheap and plentiful. A quick search on my iPhone told me I needed cucumber and red peppers which I picked up at the veg market both 4 for 1,000 and a red onion which I knew the ajummas on the side of the road had, I got about 10 for 2,000 from my favourite ajumma, she even threw in a free nectarine.

This is the perfect meal to make, when the weather is hot and humid and you need cooling down. I can’t believe how quick and easy this recipe is to follow, dinner will be made in 10 minutes, it’s healthy, nutritious, and delicious. I’ve just eaten two bowls and it’s extremely filling and low calorie, a definite bonus after all my recent indulging, especially since its bikini weather.

Ingredients 

700g ripe tomatoes

1 red onion

1 cucumber

1-2 cloves of garlic (chop the garlic and pour boiling water over it first if you find the taste of raw garlic too strong)

2 red peppers

2 teapoons of white sugar

2 teaspoons of salt or celery salt (I used one of each)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoons of white wine vinegar or apple cider viner

2 generous glugs of olive oil

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander (optional)

1 teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley (optional)

A little lemon juice.

Directions

Roughly chop the onion garlic, cucumber red pepper and  tomatoes (reserve 6 or 7 for the end)  and blend until smooth. If you do not have a blender just chop everything as finely as possible, although of course this will take more time. Pour this into a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, chopped herbs, and 1 glug of olive oil and sir well.  Chop the remaining tomatoes and add to the soup to give it some texture then drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Garnish with spring onions or fresh parsley or basil. This dish is traditionally served ice cold so leave it in the fridge for an hour or two or add few chunky ice cubes if your serving it straight away. Et voilà, a tasty summer soup in minutes!