Tomato soup with tapenade

The punchy addition of tapenade adds a new dimension to this classic recipe.

SERVES 4

FOR THE SOUP

 2.5kg tomatoes

 2 onions

 2 garlic cloves

 2 celery sticks

 5tbsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling  2 bay leaves

 4tsp thyme leaves

 600ml vegetable stock

 2 heaped tbsp tomato purée

 1-2 pinches of sugar

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TAPENADE

 150g black olives

(unpitted)

 1tbsp capers

 2 anchovy fillets (marinated in oil or salt)  12 garlic cloves  6tbsp olive oil  Baguette, to serve

1 To make the soup, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Core the tomatoes, using a small knife to cut a circle around the stems, then halve.

2 Peel and coarsely chop the onions and garlic. Clean the celery and cut into slices 1cm thick. Mix the tomatoes with the oil, onions, garlic, celery, bay leaves and 2tsp of the thyme on a deep baking tray. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 1 hour.

3 Meanwhile, to make the tapenade, pit the olives, drain the capers, and rinse and pat dry the anchovies. Peel and coarsely chop the garlic.

4 Finely purée the ingredients with the olive oil using a hand-held blender.

Season to taste with pepper.

5 Transfer the tomatoes with the cooking liquid from the baking tray to a large pan, removing the bay leaves. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the tomato purée.

6 Bring the soup to the boil, and continue to boil for 5min with the lid off, then purée with the hand blender. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and sugar.

7 Ladle the soup into bowls, spoon in some tapenade, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and pepper, and serve with slices of baguette.