Homemade Tomato Soup

I eat a lot of bad food but one thing I never buy or eat is tinned soup. Homemade soup is always so much better and is really easy and quick to make. My grandma used to make the best soup and no matter how hard I try I can never get it to taste quite like hers! However, this is a classic tomato soup that I make quite often and almost impossible to mess up. Don’t skip blanching the tomatoes- if you do then the soup will never be smooth enough as the skins never seem to disappear after blending. The mix of both fresh and tinned tomatoes gives best results, but if you just have tinned tomatoes, or don’t fancy taking the time to blanch the tomatoes, then just use tinned.

RECIPE

SERVES 4-6

Ingredients

• One onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 carrot
• A pack of vine tomatoes (normally around 6)
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• Vegetable or chicken stock cube
• Cream (optional)
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

METHOD

1. Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onions in a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Grate the carrot into the pan, add the vine from the tomatoes and cook for around 5 minutes until soft.
2. Cut a cross into the bottom of each tomato and place into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and cover with cling film. Leave for one minute.
3. Drain the water from the tomatoes and when cool enough to handle, peel away the skins. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, scooping out the seeds and discarding. This may seem wasteful but it is the pulp that has all the flavour.
4. Add the garlic to the onion and carrot and stir for around one minute more.
5. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes to the pan, followed by the stock cube.
6. Fill the empty tin of boiling water and pour into the pan too.
7. Season very generously with salt and pepper.
8. Put the lid on and let simmer for around 20/30 minutes. Remove the vine.
9. Use a hand held blender to liquidise the soup. Add a touch of cream and stir through, if using.

TIPS

• Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes along with the garlic for a spicy kick
• Goes well with my best ever cheese on toast- recipe here