I have long been a fan of the Geeta's Premium Mango Chutney. I love that it has texture and flavor and spices that you can really see in it. It has an authentic Indian flavour, which I love.
Not only because it comes from Cheshire (the county I live in) but also because it is a cheese which has been blended with my favourite kind of chutney!
I love cheese mixes . . . Wensleydale with Cranberries . . . Stilton with apricots . . . they have long been my favourite types of cheese, especially when served with crackers, and so I was really looking forward to taste testing this new variety.
First we tried it fresh out of the package and at room temperature with some crackers. I have to say . . . without prejudice . . . this is one very tasty cheese. It has a lovely spreadable texture and is so mellow. In short, it was just lovely. My mind started racing . . . thinking about different ways I could use it . . . although I have to say that I could have very happily just sat and ate the whole piece, just on it's own with crackers.
But this is The English Kitchen . . . and my kitchen is about cooking . . . using fresh and local produce and ingredients . . . and about pushing the boundaries of the traditional and creating new things which are traditionally NOT traditional, if you know what I mean . . .
Nothing goes together better than grilled cheese toasties and Tomato Soup . . . so I began to think about grilled cheese toasties made with this lovely cheese . . . but then . . . with a cheese with Indian flavors . . . why not a tomato soup with Indian flavors??
I decided to make a curried tomato soup . . . lightly spiced and warm . . . filled with the flavors of curry powder, coriander, cumin and chili . . . oh, and coconut . . . a very common curry ingredient.
And then I decided to top this lovely warm soup with some crisp little toastie croutons made with toasted bread and this lovely cheese.
Know what??? It all worked beautifully together and I have created a delicious new favourite. Todd always says he doesn't like tomato soup . . . but he always loves mine. I think that's because I always make mine that tiny little bit different than the tinned one he grew up with.
I mean . . . homemade is always infinitely better isn't it?
*Curried Tomato Soup*
makes 8 cups
Printable Recipe
Complex flavors and so delicious. Light and comforting. The perfect soup for a cold and rainy day.
1 TBS coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 (400g) tins of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (about 4 cups)
1 tsp each of curry powder and ground coriander
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin, chili powder, granulated sugar and salt
2 pints of chicken stock (4 cups)
1 (160ml) tin of coconut cream (the thick stuff, about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup fresh coriander or parsley coarsely chopped
Optional Garnish
Little cheese toasties (I used toasted crust-less bread, cut into quarters,
topped with the Red Leicester Blended with Authentic Indian Chutney and then
grilled until oozingly melted)
Thick plain yogurt
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat until hot. Add the garlic and onions. Cook, stirring until softened, some 5 to 8 minutes. Add the spices and sugar. Cook, stirring until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. (You can also blitz in a blender. Do take care.) Stir in the fresh coriander or parsley. Ladle into heated soup bowls and if using, float a couple of little cheese toasties on top. Alternately you may garnish with a dollop of thick plain yoghurt.
This exciting new premium cheese will be sold on Tesco Deli’s throughout the country. The flavours of chunky mango and whole spices in Geeta’s Premium Mango chutney naturally combine with our mellow yet slightly zesty Red Leicester cheese to create a perfectly balanced sweet/savoury flavour.
This blend of Indian flavors is also an extremely versatile cheese . . . delicious on naan bread pizza, melted over slow roasted tomatoes or used to create the ultimate cheese on toast . . . just some of the ways this product can be used to create the perfect dish or accompaniment.
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