From the tops of the carrots and boil in salted water until al dente

Chop tomatoes, onion and garlic in to quarters and add to carrots along with a tablespoon of olive oil

After a couple of minutes add the made up vegetable stock, and fill up with extra water to just cover the vegetables

Add a level teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning and the Chinese 5 spice if using, and boil for a further 10-15 minutes

Blend using a hand blender/processor until completely smooth, season well, then add cream/milk to loosen if desired