Slow Cooker Chunky Tomato Cajun-Style Soup

Ingredients

• small red onion — diced1 ea
• spring onions — chopped; about 575 g
• garlic cloves — peeled and crushed2 ea
• bacon medallions — diced3 ea
• large courgette — diced1 ea
• carrots — peeled and diced; 2 carrots160 g
• peppers — deseeded and diced2 ea
• chicken stock cubes — made up with 560 ml boiling water2 ea
• canned chopped tomatoes400 g
• passata500 g
• tomato purée2 tbsp
• Cajun seasoning1 tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce — 1 tbsp15 ml
• white wine vinegar — 1 tbsp15 ml
• bay leaf1 ea
• canned chickpeas — drained and rinsed400 g
• canned kidney beans — drained and rinsed400 g
• reduced-fat sausages — cooked and sliced2 ea
• spinach — 1 big handful40 g

Method

1. Spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and set on a medium heat. Add the onion, spring onion, garlic and bacon and fry for 5 minutes until softening and turning brown.
2. Add the courgette, carrots and peppers and continue to fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock cubes to the water and mix to dissolve. Pour into the pan along with the chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato purée, Cajun-style seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, white wine vinegar and bay leaf. Stir well.
4. Bring to the boil, then transfer the contents of the pan to a slow cooker and cook for 3 hours.
5. After 3 hours add the kidney beans, chickpeas and sausage. Season to taste with black pepper.
6. Cook for another hour. Remove the bay leaf and stir the spinach through until wilted.