Summer tomato soup

The best way to use up the glut of summer tomatoes, they’re simmered slowly with sweet onions and celery to make this a refreshing and light soup. A taste of summer in a bowl.

Soups and starters
Enjoy a bowl of home-made summer tomato soup
  • Preparation time 20 minutes (prep. time)
  • Cooking time 20 minutes (cooking time)
  • Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 50ml (2 fl oz) vegetable oil
  • 250g (9oz) onions, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 135g (5oz) tomato puree
  • 600g (21oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 20g (0.5oz) vegetable bouillon or 2 stock cubes
  • 2tsp dried tarragon
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 50g (2oz) sugar
  • a bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 30g (1 oz) sun-dried tomatoes

 

  • 60ml (2 fl oz) extra virgin rapeseed oil

Method

  1. Sweat the onions, celery and garlic in the oil, without colouring, until soft.
  2. Add the tomato puree and stir well.
  3. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, along with the tomato stalk, bouillon, water, tarragon, and half the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  4. Discard the tomato stalks.
  5. Blitz to a smooth consistency and pass through a sieve if needed, season with the salt and pepper and add the remaining sugar to taste.
  6. Finely chop the basil and the sun-dried tomatoes, mix with the oil and drizzle a teaspoonful over the soup when you serve.