Roasted Tomato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme by M. Kuehn

Apparently our bodies don’t really relish soup unless the temperature is below 18 degrees. Well, it’s that time again – dreary, relentlessly lashing down outside and I can’t think of anything nicer than a bowl of this richly deep soup that gives it another dimension with the addition of roasted tomatoes.

I also like adding rosemary and thyme leaves, but again, it’s a personal thing. Snipped chives will also do nicely.

TIP Try and buy ripe tomatoes that taste of something. No ‘value’ toms please.

Serves 4

16 ripe tomatoes

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

2tbs olive oil and a little more for frying

2 banana shallots, sliced

2 fat cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tin of quality chopped tomatoes

8 tbs tomato puree

1 tbs sugar

2 litres of chicken or veg stock

4 tbs sour cream

few sprigs of rosemary

handful of chopped thyme leaves

juice of a lemon

black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 160oC

Halve the tomatoes, pop them into a roasting tin, sprinkle with the oil and vinegar and roast for forty minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the shallots in the oil for a couple of minutes till softened and then add the garlic and fry for a further minute.

Pour in the stock, tomatoes, puree and sugar and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for forty minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and the herbs. Cook for a further five minutes, add the lemon juice and blitz the whole thing with a soup stick. Swirl in the cream and finish with plenty of coarse black pepper.