Hearty Tomato Soup and a Worldwide Giveaway

There was no grey clouds nor could I hear the pitter patter of drizzle on my balcony. Not a single person wrapped up in a cozy jumper nor smoky fog on our windows. Instead the blue sky was devoid of a single cloud to protect from the scorching sun. I could see clearly for miles and miles into oblivion, people walked in shorts and T shirts at the park. Yes, I could spot plenty of umbrellas but no rain! Only to protect them from the wrath of the sun.

As I stepped outside, the humidity caused my glasses to instantly fog up. I knew then and there that summer was still here, with a vengeance. Yet, I still needed to be comforted and held. To feel cozy and warm- from the inside. I needed a splash of color, a splash of ruby, a splash of happiness.

We made this whilst Akber was travelling. As I've mentioned before, we are not big soup eaters. However, there are times when only a soup can fill a void, when only soup can cheer you up. And that's exactly what this soup did for me. And for Maryam.

We ate this with some crunchy garlic bread on the side and a sprinkling of fresh herbs crowned the soup beautifully. Feel free to substitute the herb of your choice and whatever juicy tomatoes you have in season. I have also made a version of this soup with hot water in the place of chicken stock.

So as I dunked our warm garlic bread into the rich and hearty soup, making sure to pick up bits of fresh parsley with each swipe, my worries wiled away, my heart started to feel warm and my soul started to cheer up. And I anticipated the cool winters of Dubai, the shady grey clouds and the thick quilt of fog that welcomes my early morning drives.......

Today I'd like to give away a Braun Multiquick hand blender. I used it to blend my tomato soup and loved the results. The best feature for me was the fact that it was cordless which meant I could blend my soup in the pan rather having to transfer it into the blender (and also the fact that my soup didn't splatter everywhere). The blades are wonderfully sharp and it has several attachments for chopping and ice crushing.  

Picture Courtesy of Braun

Here is how you can take part in the giveaway (you have multiple chances of entering by doing one or more of the following):

1) Follow @sispandspoonful on Twitter and come back and leave a comment that you did

2) Follow Sips and Spoonfuls on Facebook and come back and leave a comment that you did

3) Subscribe to Sips and Spoonfuls by email (link on the upper right corner) and come back and leave a comment that you did

4) Tweet the following and come back and leave a comment that you did : I entered to win a free Braun cordless blender via @sipsandspoonful http://tinyurl.com/3zkfhx2 #giveaway

PLEASE REMEMBER: Leave a separate comment for EACH of your entries or only one entry will be counted.

Good luck. The giveaway will end on Monday 29th September at midnight. One winner will be selected at random from a valid entry and be sure to leave a valid email. You will need to claim the prize within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Note: I received this product from Braun but all the above views are my own.

Hearty Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 kg plum tomatoes or any other juicy tomato, quartered

1 tsp dried basil powder ( you can use fresh)

4 cups chicken stock (vary this amount depending on how thick you like your soup)

1 tsp sugar

salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste

handful of chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion. Once it starts to get translucent, add chopped garlic. Stir for a few seconds before adding tomatoes, basil powder, chicken stock, sugar, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Simmer half covered for about 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the stock- of it starts to dry up, you can add more.

Pulse the broth using a hand blender until smooth. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with garlic bread.

Serves 3-4 people.