Roast Tomato Soup

Mmmmmmm, this is a staple, a stand-by. So so easy to make, you can do it quick, you can do it slow, you can't go wrong. You can spice it up or you can calm it down. What's not to like?

I started making tomato soup following first a Delia Smith recipe and then a Jamie Oliver number.  This is a mix of both.

 I tend towards the slow and lazy Delia roast tomato soup version, and have moved away from Jamie's very expensive multi-coloured designer tomatoes-on-the-vine approach.

This (to the right) is Delia's slow-roasted version - with basil and croutons ...  hers is languid and sophisticated. Hers is so Italian with its olive paste and wotnot ... you can hear the latin notes of Rome oozing through this one. . . (Click on the image).

And this (to the left) is Jamie's - he gets you to make a dessert and a side dish all in the same 30 minutes.  You serve the soup on TOP of ciabatta chunks as if they were giant sunken croutons. I had this at a friend's house once and it was REALLY delish.  Or 'Pukka' as our Jamie would have it. He reckons you should use a kilo of tomatoes - many colours - and - expensively, on the vine.  He also more or less  GRILLS the tomatoes at 220°C on the top shelf and then adds the scorched fruit to the pan of  sautéed onions and balsamic vinegar.

I use the massive cheapo tomatoes sold in nets from the supermarket and let the slow cooking help develop the flavour.  I  roast the tomatoes and tend to make big batches and freeze some - and it survives very well.

Here's my basic recipe and some flavoursome variants. A LOT of tomatoes in this, but that's because it's tomato soup, silly.

I also use potatoes as they thicken the soup really well and make it smooth and creamy without dominating in flavour or making it gooey -  as thickening flours sometimes do.  If you don't believe me, you should try it.  Carrots add a symphony of orange luxury, and a red pepper enriches that vibrance more.  Red onions give a zing, while spices and flavourings  take the basic soup in different directions.  Don't freak out if you have not got exactly these ingredients - when I made this I forgot the red onions. White ones are fine. So, experiment...

1 large roasting tin  (as wide as you can fit on your shelf)  &  a blender or liquidiser.  And a large saucepan if using a stick blender. 

 Ingredients: 

24 tomatoes (Approx amount = 4 packs of 6 or 3 'net bags' worth)
3 small red onions or one large
3 - 4 medium or small potatoes. (The more you have the more the soup mellows).
1 - 2 medium carrots - not the posh expensive ones
1 red pepper
A few cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
1/2 jar Sacla roast tomato paste (with or without garlic)
5 tablespoons olive oil  

Flavouring options: 
  Mess about with flavours - you probably have favourite spices and combinations, but here are some suggestions ...  

Italian Vibe
Oregano
Basil
Balsamic vinegar

 Hot and spicy
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
Chilli oil  or  Juice of one lime

  Warm and spicy
2 teaspoons cumin
Juice from one lime
2 teaspoons tamarind

 Cosy rich comforts
Balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons Henderson's relish
2 table spoons dried Oregano
Handful of basil

  What you do: 

1. Place the large metal tray with the 5 tablespoons of olive oil in the oven and heat  to 190C while you chop the vegetables. 
2. Quarter the tomatoes, the onions and the potatoes. Chop the carrots into lengths of about 3 - 4 cms.  
3. De-seed the pepper and cut into about 6 pieces. 
4. When the oil has warmed (see if it sizzles when you add a tomato), pile in the rest of the chopped vegetables including the whole unpeeled cloves of garlic. Fling in the bay leaves. Sprinkle in a tablespoon of dried oregano if you want an Italian vibe.  Stir the oil through the vegetables.  
5. If you want a hot and spicy soup, add chilli flakes at this point.  If you're going for the Italian vibe, add oregano and balsamic vinegar and stir.  For warm and spicy stir through 3 teaspoons of cumin - more if love it and even a teaspoon of coriander.  For the rich and home comforts, don't add The Henderson's Relish yet, but sling in all the other stuff on the list. 
6. Roast the lot for about 30 minutes at which point, stir the vegetables. The volume will have reduced a lot and started to brown.  Return to the oven for another 20 - 30 minutes. 
7. The longer and slower (reduce the temp to 180) the richer the soup will taste. I am usually too impatient to wait absolutely ages and so usually eat after about 45 minutes to an hour. But at least try and make sure the tomatoes have browned slightly and the carrots must be soft. 
8. Boil the kettle with about a pint of water. 
9. If you want to make a pesto / dressing for the soup you can do this now. Otherwise have a little dance with your partner or watch the telly. Dance or Pesto? Pesto or dance? The choice is yours. 
10. The Pesto recipe is here. 
11. Remove the bay leaves. Scoop out the roasted garlic cloves with a teaspoon and squeeze the middle out between two fingers. Yummy squishy roasted garlic. 
12. Transfer everything to a large pan or liquidiser.  Add the half jar of Sacla tomato paste. If you are going for an Italian vibe, add a handful of fresh basil leaves now. If you want a warm and spicy flavour, add the tamarind paste.  Blitz to within an inch of its life. Make it as smooth as cream. 
13. If you've blitzed with a stick (it rhymes),  then you can warm up the soup again and it will be piping hot.  Glug in the Henderson's relish if using,  (I put in about 6 tablespoons but then I am a bit of a Hendo fiend; you'll probably prefer 2 or 3), and if you feel the soup is too thick you can add a drop or so of boiling water to thin it down. But I like this  stuff as thick as possible. For me, that's the point of this soup. 
14. Serve with thick bread doorsteps and /or croutons or pesto. 
15. This makes 4 massive bowls of soup, or 6 for normal people. 
16. The extra portions freeze very well.  Takes about 4 hours to de-frost at room temp and all day in the fridge.
17. Yum Yum. 

And don't forget ... if you are in a massive hurry, heat the olive oil, in a massive oven proof casserole dish  and sling in all the other ingredients. Warm it all through and put in the oven with the lid on for 45minutes. .Whizz up with a stick blender, sprinkle on some cheese and dip your bread in. Nice. (Or open a tin). 

And for the shortened version of what to do ...

You can download a pdf of the recipe here.