My homemade tomato soup

This is my recipe for homemade tomato soup.  It’s got a nice tang to it from the addition of some sundried tomatoes, and is a delicious meal in winter or summer.  There’s so many ways you can serve it – with crusty white bread spread thickly with butter, a dollop of cream cheese, crème fraîche swirled through it, a drizzle of olive oil, toasted pitta bread, a sprig of basil.  Or what I really liked as a child was to put a big knob of salty butter into the middle, wait for it to melt and then swirl it in – probably not very healthy, but I loved that extra smooth salty edge it gave the soup.

Homemade Tomato Soup

Feeds 2

2 small shallots or 1 medium onion, chopped
6-8 sundried tomatoes, chopped
Tin of plum or cherry tomatoes
Bunch of thyme, leaves only
400-500ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper

Start by softened the chopped shallots over a medium heat.  Once they have softened and started to turn translucent, add the sundried tomatoes and thyme leaves. 

If you can’t be bothered or don’t have the time to pick off all the leaves, pop the whole sprigs in to impart their flavour – just before you blend the soup remember to remove the sprigs or you’ll end up with bits of twig in every mouthful…it’s not pleasant!

After a couple of minutes, add the tinned tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Turn off the heat, remove any sprigs of thyme if left whole, and blend to a smooth puree.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and eat straightaway however you wish.

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