Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Halve the fresh tomatoes, turn them in one spoon of the oil with salt and roast them cut side up for 20 minutes. Roasting concentrates them; raw ones would only water the soup down.

   22 min

2. Soften the chopped onion in the rest of the oil over medium heat for 6 minutes.

   6 min

3. Add the sliced garlic and cook it 40 seconds.

   1 min

4. Add the roasted tomatoes with everything on the tray, the passata and the stock, and simmer 15 minutes.

   15 min

5. Blend it smooth, then taste it. Add the teaspoon of sugar only if the tomatoes are sharp.

   3 min

6. Tear the basil in off the heat — boiled basil loses its scent. Season and serve.

   2 min

Serving suggestion

A grilled cheese sandwich on the side is not a cliché for nothing.

Storage

Four days in the fridge and it freezes well. Add the basil fresh after reheating.

Notes

Out of season, skip the fresh tomatoes and use 900 g of passata. Winter tomatoes add water, not flavour.