Tomato Soup

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the fundamentals of cooking

This recipe is all about the roasting of the tomatoes, and the use of sugar to bring out their natural sweetness. Roasting adds depth to the flavour of the tomatoes, no matter what kind of tomatoes you use. Plum tomatoes are preferable, as they have extra sweetness, but as we are roasting and getting extra depth, any type of tomatoes will do.

As well as bringing out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, roasting them also extracts a lot of the flavoursome juices, so there is then no real need to add stock. You can then blend the soup to whatever consistency you like, and it’s nice to leave it as a chunky, thicker soup. If you find it’s a bit too thick and you need some stock, most shop-bought stocks — even in cube format — are very good these days.

Often the problem with tomato soup is that it’s too acidic. That’s why we add a small amount of sugar, and roasting the garlic in its skin also creates a lovely sweetness. Cream can be added if you like, for a richer-tasting soup.

This soup goes wonderfully well with basil pesto on fresh, crusty bread. You can also add a little red chilli to spice things up; or roast some red peppers with the tomatoes. For a real treat, try a dollop of goat’s cheese at the end, with a drizzle of honey on top.