Pic of Tomato and pepper summer pudding

Tomato and pepper summer pudding

Show ingredients

Vegetarian mains

Tomato and pepper summer pudding

Main Serves 4 30 min
Summer pudding is an English classic – and this savoury take makes a succulent, refreshing alternative to sugary berries. Serve this cold after putting it in the fridge overnight. Eat with a green salad and any other summery accompaniments you fancy – boiled eggs and olives are both good.

Ingredients

main

  • 6-10 thin slices slightly stale white bread, crusts removed
  • fresh herbs (parsley and basil) to decorate

for the filling

  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2x400g tin tomatoes or 1kg fresh tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 25 min

  • Step 1

    Cook the onions, garlic and peppers gently in the oil until tender.

  • Step 2

    Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer until fairly thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the thyme sprigs.

  • Step 3

    Line a 900ml-1.2 litre pudding basin with the bread, trimming so that it fits snugly with no gaps but no overlaps either.

  • Step 4

    Fill with the tomato and pepper mixture and cover with bread trimmed to fit.

  • Step 5

    Lay a plate or large saucer on top and weigh down with tins or metal weights. Leave overnight in the fridge.

  • Step 6

    Just before serving remove weight and plate, and cover the pudding with a shallow serving dish. Invert, give it a firm shake and the pudding should slip nicely out onto the plate. Decorate with fresh herbs.