Tomato Soup

This vibrant tomato soup is easy to prepare using tinned tomatoes. But if you have a surplus of very ripe tomatoes, skin and seed 1kg to use instead in this recipe.

Method

1. Heat an AMC 20 cm Gourmet Super High or 24 cm Gourmet High over a medium temperature until the Visiotherm reaches the first red area.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic until transparent. Add baby marrows and celery and sauté for another 2 - 3 minutes.
3. Add the flour and stir well until all of it is absorbed. Add tomatoes with liquid and mix well with vegetables. Add rest of ingredients, except milk or cream, and bring soup to the boil. 
4. Simmer with lid on over a low-medium temperature for 20 minutes to develop the flavour. Remove bay leaves.
5. Using a stick blender, blend soup until smooth. Add milk, cream or sour cream and season to taste. Heat over a low heat so that the cream will not curdle.
6. Serve hot with fresh basil leaves, a dollop of basil pesto, grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese or chopped olives. Bread sticks or fresh rolls are ideal to serve with a bowl of soup.

• For a refreshing summer soup, serve well chilled with a swirl of cream and fresh, chopped basil.
• For a spicy flavour, substitute the herbs with 1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped, 10 ml fresh, grated ginger, 1 large cinnamon stick, 2 whole cardamom pods, crushed and 2 - 3 whole cloves. Remove the whole spice with bay leaves before blending soup. 
• For a special occasion, add 2 - 3 cooked prawns to each bowl of soup.
• Add 250 g bacon, fried and chopped with Feta cheese to the soup.
• Add 1 tin of ratatouille (Mediterranean vegetable mixture) to blended soup for a chunky texture. Serve with Feta cheese.
• Add 6 - 8 sliced peppadews to blended soup and serve with basil leaves and Parmesan cheese.