Creamy tomato soup

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Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 200g/7oz carrots, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large sprig fresh thyme
  • 750g/1½lb ripe plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 200ml/7fl oz passata
  • 500ml/17fl oz vegetable stock
  • 100ml/3½fl oz single cream or low-fat crème fraîche
  • splash dry sherry
  • crusty bread and butter, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes over a gentle heat until almost softened but not browned. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaf and thyme and cook for a further 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure the vegetables don't stick to the base of the pan.
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the passata and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 35-40 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.
  3. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then blend the soup in a liquidizer or food processor. This will probably have to be done in two batches. Pour the soup into a clean saucepan, passing it through a sieve if you want it really smooth. Stir in the cream, a splash of sherry and extra seasoning if required.
  4. Pour into large mugs or bowls and serve with fresh crusty buttered bread.