Easy Homemade Tomato Soup

There’s nothing more comforting on a cold, wet, winter’s day than a steaming bowl of hot tomato soup. You can, of course, buy very good tinned soups, but if like me, you get a lot of joy, and take a lot of pride in cooking things from scratch, then you’ll enjoy making your own. And this recipe is really easy and tastes great!

Also, from a health / diet point of view, making your own meals from scratch means you know exactly what’s in your food. This particular recipe is completely vegan, gluten free, additive free, carb free and sugar free (I use honey for sweetness) – exactly how a simple tomato soup should be. So turn the heating up, put on your fluffiest pyjamas, and tuck into a bowl of hearty, healthy, yummy, homemade tomato soup.

Ready in 1 hour (10 mins prep, 35mins roast, 15 mins on the hob) – Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1kg of fresh tomatoes on the vine
3 garlic cloves, whole, not peeled or crushed
A good pinch of salt
A good pinch of black pepper
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large white onion, finely diced
500g of passata (Try one with basil in, if you can find it, for an extra herby kick)
1 vegetable stock cube
200mls of cold water
1 tablespoon of honey
A good pinch of paprika
A good pinch of oregano
150mls of milk
A tablespoon of fresh basil, finely chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 220c / 200c fan / gas mark 7.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them in a large oven-proof dish with the garlic, salt, pepper and 4 tablespoons of oil.

Roast for 35 mins.

Put a large pan on a medium/high heat on the hob and add a tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion.
Cook for a few mins until the onion has softened, then add the passata, stock cube, water, honey, paprika and oregano.

Bring to a simmer, then add the roasted tomatoes, juice and all. But not the garlic cloves.
Mix well, then cover and simmer for 5 mins.

Turn the heat off, and once cooled slightly, pour into a food processor or use a hand held blender to blend until smooth.

Put the pan back on a low heat, and heat gently, adding the milk a little at a time until all the milk is combined and the soup is hot, but not boiling.