Fresh Tomato Soup

And just because I couldn't resist, my recipe for a lovely fresh cream of tomato soup.....

Tomato Soup

This recipe beats tinned tomato soup any day! Full of fresh flavours and all the comfort you associate with tomato soup – all you need on the side is some fresh crusty bread or for the ultimate in feel good food, a cheese toastie!

30g/1oz butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, cleaned and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium sized potato, peeled & cut into pieces
1.5kg fresh, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into quarters the stalk removed then roughly chopped
1 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
2 tbsp sundried tomato puree
1 bay leaf, fresh if possible otherwise dried is fine
750ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt & pepper
125ml whipping cream
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan. Add the leeks and cook over a medium heat for roughly 5 minutes then add the garlic and cook for another minute before adding the potato, tomatoes, sugar, tomato puree, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes before adding the stock then continue to cook uncovered for another 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf then leave to cool before blending to a smooth consistency. Transfer the pureed soup into a clean pan then add the cream and gently reheat. Taste to check the seasoning, and adjust if necessary before serving with some torn basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.