Best Tomato Soup

I’ve always been fussy about tinned soups and couldn’t understand why anyone would like tinned tomato soup when, in my world, it didn’t taste much like tomatoes at all!

Anyway, food snobbery aside :-), this best tomato soup recipe came to my rescue! Really worth a try.

TOMATO SOUP

Soups don’t have to be limited to winter months. Served with a hot crusty loaf, this tomato soup is as good as a wholesome meal on a warm summer evening.

INGREDIENTS:
As many tomatoes as you can fit into a large soup saucepan
1 medium sized potato
1 small onion
A little cooking oil

METHOD:
1. Remove skin from tomatoes before cooking. This can be tricky and time consuming. Try blanching by plunging the tomatoes into boiling water for a few seconds. Make a cross with a sharp knife in the base of the tomato first and remove any leaves and stalks. Blanching will help loosen the skin. Then either slide the skin off with your fingers or use a small sharp vegetable knife to remove it.

2. Peel potato and cut into cubes. Peel and chop onion. Gently fry both in a little cooking oil in a large saucepan. Stir until potato is fairly soft. Don’t let it burn.

3. Then start adding your peeled tomatoes. Cut them up roughly and add a few at a time, stirring well after each addition. Keep the heat on low-medium, and add your tomatoes until there’s no more space! You shouldn’t need to add water, but make sure the mix isn’t too dry. If it is, add a little water at a time.

4. Stir over a gentle heat until the tomatoes are cooked and everyone is hungry. Add a sprig of basil during the last few minutes of cooking to really zip up the flavour.

If you prefer to blend the soup, let it cool for a couple of minutes, blend in a food processor or similar device then return to the pan and stir over a very gentle heat for a couple of minutes until re-heated right through.

Optional: Swirl a spoonful of cream into each bowl or tureen and add a sprig of basil to garnish

Serve with crusty bread

Bon Appetit!
Linda x

P.S. Just a quick reminder. If you are thinking about growing some fresh organic produce yourself this year, and you don’t need a big garden or lots of energy to grow a few things, try tomatoes first. You’ll never look back. A freshly grown tomato tastes like a tomato should! This guide will help you get the most from your crops…