Tomato Season = Tomato Soup

It’s July, tomato season. All along my street sit grandmothers and farmers with bright red baskets bursting with ripe tomatoes. Selling them by the pound, then quickly replenishing stocks with a never-ending supply from their trucks. The solution to this abundance – tomato soup. This recipe will soon become your go-to soup. It is perfect for the novice but will make you proud to say you made it from scratch.

Time:  55 minutes            Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 onion, diced 

25g vegan butter 

1 clove garlic, crushed 

1 tsp paprika 

1 tbsp tomato purée 

1 kg tomatoes, chopped 

2 tsp raw sugar

1 bay leaf

600 ml vegetable stock

142 ml tub creamy milk, like soy

Basil leaves or parsley to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Fry onion in vegan butter for 7-9 mins on a med-high heat until softened. Stir in  garlic and paprika and cook a further 1 minute. Add purée and continue for 2 more minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf and vegetable stock. Bring soup to a boil then simmer for 20 mins.
3. Remove bay leaf. Blend the soup in batches until smooth. Be sure your blender can withstand the heat of the liquid, otherwise wait until it cools.
4. Push blended soup through a sieve to remove skin and seed. Return liquid to rinsed-out pan. HINT Use the back of a spoon or spatula to push liquid through faster.
5. Stir in two-thirds of the creamy plant milk (I use soy) and reheat the soup gently. Once it’s hot, serve your tomato soup in warmed bowls with a garnish of basil leaves or parsley and some buttered crusty bread.

Nutritional Info: ~ Calories 280(kcal) Fat 22.0g Saturates 14.0g Sugars 3.0g

NOTE: Left overs will keep for 3 month in the freezer.