Tinned Tomatoes Recipes
One of those staples you might have bought as a 4-pack and have several cans left in the cupboard, tinned tomatoes (both whole and chopped) are a staple of home-made sauces, stews, chilli’s and curry’s. Assume you have a few tins to hand, here’s a few basic ways to use them up in a tasty way.
Ten-Minute Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is one of those dishes we associated with cold days and feeling under the weather. If you have a family to feed this is a quick and easy way to feed everyone.
Ingredients (serves 6-8 portions):
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml chicken or vegetable stock (made from a stock cube)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 150ml/5fl oz full-fat milk
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Set a large, deep pan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds, or until it just starts to colour.
- Add the sun-dried and tinned tomatoes, stock and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender, blend the soup in the pan.
- Stir in the milk and cream and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper before heating through on the hob.
- Serve hot with ½ teaspoon basil pesto swirled on the top of each bowl of soup.
Aubergine Parmigiana
A classic Italian dish, if you’ve not had it before it’s a similar concept to a Lasagna, only with no pasta.
Ingredients (Serves 6):
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- olive oil
- 2 x 400g tinned plum tomatoes
- 900g Aubergines, sliced about 1cm thick
- 75g Parmesan, grated
- 250g Mozzarella, torn into pieces
- A handful of breadcrumbs (made out of leftover bread)
- A few Basil leaves
Method:
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan, fry the garlic until golden.
- Add the tomatoes and chop in the pan using a pair of scissors.
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally until glossy and thickened.
- Sprinkle the aubergines with a little salt then shallow-fry them in olive oil in a frying pan, turning once, until they’re golden on each side.
- You will need to do this in batches and it will take some time.
- Keep adding more oil to the pan as you go – if the aubergine dry-fries it will burn and turn bitter. The aubergine will hoover up a terrifying quantity of oil, so rest the slices between sheets of paper kitchen roll to soak some of it out.
- When the sauce is cooked, squash the lumps out with the back of a spoon (there’s no need to purée it).
- Put your oven on to pre-heat for 180C
- In a square ovenproof dish (about 22cm square), put a layer of aubergines, one of sauce and a scattering of parmesan.
- Repeat until the ingredients are used up (probably three layers), making sure you finish with sauce.
- Scatter with torn up mozzarella and any remaining parmesan.
- Cook for 25 mins at 180C
- Remove from the oven and scatter with breadcrumbs, turn up oven to 200C and cook 15 minutes more or until golden and bubbling.
- Scatter with basil leaves before serving.
Sausage, Chickpea and Tomato Casserole:
Taking advantage of another store-cupboard staple (Chickpeas), and the every reliable pack of sausages (you could use vegan sausages if you want and substitute the chicken stock for a vegetable stock), this simple dish is a good way to get some veggies into the family without too much fuss.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 6 pork sausages, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200ml chicken stock, from a stock cube
- 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 200g young leaf spinach, you can use frozen if that’s all you have
- Squeeze lemon juice
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sausages over a high heat, turning now and then, until browned all over.
- Set aside on a plate. Turn the heat down to medium-high, then add the onions and fry for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until soft and light brown.
- Add the garlic and thyme, lower the heat again and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan with the browned sausages and chickpeas. Stir well, then bring everything to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly and thickened.
- If using fresh: put the spinach in a colander and pour over a kettle-full of boiling water. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
- If using frozen: heat in the microwave or put in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes before draining. Pour from a colander and leave to cool.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze the excess water from the spinach and stir it into the casserole.
- Season well with salt and pepper, then divide among bowls. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.