Roasted Tomato Soup

A tomato is no longer an ordinary tomato when you roast it - it becomes a tangy burst of robust flavours that melt on the tongue and titillate the taste buds. The aroma wafting from a pan full of garlic, tomatoes and onions toasting their way to perfection is a fragrance worth bottling, honestly!

Naturally, because the results are so sublime, roasting tomatoes to their ultimate, delicious best takes time. It’s not called slow roasting for fun - you need to roast them for at least 40 minutes, but an hour is better and usually does the trick for me.

To be frank, apart from the roasting time there’s little else necessary, time wise, to create this delightful soup, it’s truly a bowlful of wholesome, delectable goodness and you’ll find yourself wanting to make it time and again (your memory buds will demand it)

Ingredients

_5 medium ripe tomatoes (this is absolutely important - only use ripe tomatoes)
_4 cloves of garlic
_olive oil for basting and sautéing (5 tablespoons)
_2 medium carrots
_1 celery stalk
_1 white onion
_1 leek
_Vegetable stock cube
_50g of tomato paste
_2.5 litres of water
_Handful of Italian Parsley
_Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Quarter the tomatoes and the white onion. Spread the tomatoes and onions onto an oiled roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Pop the roasting tray into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the tomatoes and onions over halfway through the cooking time. Add the garlic to the pan and roast on medium-low heat for a further 20 to 30 minutes

While the tomatoes are roasting dice the carrots, leek and celery stalk roughly and sauté in a little olive oil for around 5 minutes.

Add the water, stock and tomato paste to the pot and cook over medium heat until the carrots are fork tender. Usually takes about 15-20 minutes

Once the tomatoes are roasted, slide them out of their skins and add them to the pot. Be sure to add all the pan juices as well

Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Taste and add adjust seasoning.

Blend the soup smooth in a blender. Return to the pot and add chopped parsley. Heat through and serve with crusty sourdough bread and a glass of vino.

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All images are mine, shot using an iPad and manipulated using Art Studio
Recipe developed by me