Simple Nutritious Roasted Tomato Soup

There’s something wonderfully comforting about homemade tomato soup as the days begin to turn cooler. And if you have a glut of tomatoes from the garden, this is a delicious way to use them.

Roasting the tomatoes first brings out their natural sweetness and gives the soup a lovely richness, while bone broth adds extra depth and nourishment. The result is a simple, warming soup that tastes far more indulgent than the effort involved suggests.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, simply replace the bone broth with a good-quality vegetable stock.

Roasted Tomato Soup — serves 2

You will need:

• 500g ripe fresh tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 250–300ml bone broth or vegetable stock
• A few fresh basil leaves, or ½ tsp dried oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2. Halve the tomatoes and place them in a roasting dish. Peel and quarter the onion and add it along with the whole garlic cloves.
3. Drizzle everything with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a little freshly ground black pepper.
4. Roast for 30–40 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and beginning to caramelise around the edges.
5. Tip the roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic into a saucepan. Add the bone broth or vegetable stock and bring gently to a simmer.
6. Add the basil or oregano and simmer for about 5–10 minutes.
7. Blend until smooth using a stick blender. Add a little more stock if you prefer a thinner soup.
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a few fresh basil leaves.

Make it your own

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t need to be exact. If your tomatoes are particularly sweet and juicy, you may need less stock. If they’re a little sharp, you can add a tiny pinch of sugar.

For a more substantial lunch, serve with a slice of good sourdough — perfect for dipping into the soup.

And if you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with, simply increase the quantities. The soup freezes well, so it’s worth making a larger batch while fresh tomatoes are plentiful.

One simple thing: Roast a tray of tomatoes, onions and garlic whenever you have a glut. They can become the starting point for soup, pasta sauce or a delicious topping for toast.

Why not try some of my other recipes like this Chickpea and Mushroom Burger?