SUMMER TOMATO SOUP

Growing up in with a mother from Northern France, soup was often on the menu. Winter or summer we had soup. It was a starter to many meals and at times the meal.
 
Soup is one of those very simple recipes; a few vegetables, a blender and you have soup. Tomato soup was one of my mother’s staples after her green soup. It is one of the dishes that has become tradition in our family.
 
If you are lucky enough to get good big ripe tomatoes, use them, otherwise the tinned whole tomatoes do a very good job. With fresh tomatoes it is better to remove. Score the skins with a knife, then pour boiling water over them and allow to stand a few minutes. The skins will easily peel off.
 
This soup is light and almost refreshing. Perfect with some good bread and why not a nice lick of Hungry Soul cream cheese.
 
Enough for 6 servings
 
Recipe 
INGREDIENTS

• One large onion – finely chopped
• A stick of celery – finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tins / cans of whole tomatoes ( 800g) or 8 medium fresh tomatoes.
• 5 cups of water – 1250ml
• A drop of olive oil
• A pinch of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• A few leaves of fresh basil
• Sea salt
• Black pepper ( optional )

 
 
METHOD

1. On low heat, soften the chopped onion, celery and garlic in a drop of good olive oil, for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes coarsely chopped, the pinch of thyme, the bay leaf and the water.
3. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Blend it until smooth then taste it before adding salt. Tomatoes can be salty, so check, and only add a little salt at a time.

 
Serve with a grind of black pepper if you like and a few shredded fresh basil lives.

Happy Days!
 
Bon Appetit
 
Jacques, from Hungry Soul
 

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