Fresh tomato soup

As autumn starts and harvest season starts in many places, the cooler days and evenings call for a change from salads to something a little more warming. Fresh soups are a favourite for us for lunch or occasionally a light dinner. While it might seem easier to just open a can, fresh tomato soup is quick, easy and tastes much better. Add a few garlic croutons, some grated cheese and a drizzle of crème fraiche plus a sprig of parsley to dress it up.

Serves: 6-8 portions as a starter/appetizer; 4-6 portions as main part of a light lunch

Time to prepare/cook: Approximately 10-15 minutes to prepare the ingredients; approximately 30 minutes to cook the soup; 5-10 minutes to reheat after liquidizing. Can be frozen as needed; should last 3-4 days in the fridge

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Ingredients

• 6 big, ripe vine tomatoes, chopped in quarters (remove hard green part where connects to stalk)

• 1 large (or 2 small spring onion), chopped roughly

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped roughly

• 2 stalks of celery, chopped fairly thin

• 1 large carrot, chopped in thin slices

• 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes (chicken gives more flavour, use vegetable for vegetarians)

• Water

• Teaspoon of herbes de provence

• Handful of basil leaves and parsley (without stalks)

• Olive oil for cooking

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Optional: croutons, cheese, crème fraiche to serve on top; crusty bread to dip

• Pots & pans needed: 1 large saucepan, chopping board, handheld liquidizer

Method

• Chop all ingredients as noted above

• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large saucepan, along with the garlic, onion, celery and carrot; cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes until onion is softened; make sure to stir regularly to avoid sticking/burning and add a couple of tablespoons of water if the mix starts to stick

• Add tomatoes and fresh/dried herbs to the pan, along with enough water to ensure all ingredients are well covered (probably about 500ml); add stock cubes and stir in as the water heats up

• Bring to the boil and turn heat down to simmer for 15-20 minutes until tomatoes are soft

• Take off heat and use a handheld liquidizer (or put in a standalone liquidizer) to liquidize all the ingredients until smooth; add more water as wanted to adjust the thickness of the soup (should be fairly thick); add salt and pepper to taste

• Return to a gentle heat and warm through again (don’t boil)

• Serve with croutons and cheese as desired and crusty bread