A big-batch, freezer-friendly sauce built on Carol's all-natural Vegetable Stock. A rich puree of carrot, onion, celery and leek forms the base, deepened with mushrooms, courgette and aubergine, then simmered slowly with tomatoes and fresh basil until thick and full of flavour. Make a batch, freeze in portions, and you've got real, wholesome sauce ready for pasta night, grilled chicken or baked meatballs whenever you need it.

Ingredients
3 medium carrots, cut into large pieces
2 medium red onions, cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
1 large leek, cut into large pieces
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
300g mushrooms, finely diced
2 courgettes, finely diced
2 aubergines, finely diced
850ml Carol’s Stock Market vegetable stock
2x (400g) tins chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée
25g fresh basil, leaves picked off and roughly torn
1-2 tbsp honey, if needed
Salt & pepper

Serves
10-12

Method
Blitz carrot, onion, celery, leek, and garlic in a food processor to a thick puree. (Process in portions if you have a food processor with a smaller capacity.)

Heat a very large pot over medium high heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the vegetable puree with a light seasoning of salt.

Cook, stirring as needed, for about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms, courgette, and aubergine, then cover the pot with its lid and cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock, tinned tomato, tomato puree, and fresh basil and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low to maintain a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cook for a further 20-30 minutes partially covered to allow the sauce to reduce slightly.

Taste for seasoning and add honey if it’s too acidic, then add as much salt and pepper as needed.

Portion sauce into freezer safe containers and freeze (for up to 3 months), then defrost portions as needed.

Delicious served as a pasta sauce, with grilled chicken or baked meatballs, etc.