Anna (MamaWag)
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Ingredients
3 lb (1.35 kg) ripe, red, firm tomatoes
A good handful of fresh basil
3 fat cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for dipping
1 large potato, about 6 oz (175 g)
2 rounded teaspoons tomato purée
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the croutons:
3 oz (75 g) ciabatta, crusts removed, cut into small dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 level tablespoon black olive paste
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C).
You will also need a good solid, shallow roasting tray about 14 x 11 x ¾ inches deep (35 x 28 x 2 cm deep).
First of all, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water on them, leave for 1 minute before removing the skins. Slice each tomato in half and put them on the baking tray, cut side upperwards. Place the garlic cloves still in the skins on the tray with the tomatoes. Then season everything with salt and pepper and sprinkle a few droplets of olive oil on each tomato half and some on the garlic. Then finally top each one with a piece of basil leaf (dipping the leaf in oil first to give it a good coating).
Put the tray into the oven and roast for 1 hour or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened.
While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the croutons by placing the bread cubes in a bowl, with the oil and the olive paste, then toss them around getting them well covered in the mix.
20 minutes before the end of the roasting time, peel and chop the potato, place it in a saucepan with some salt and 570 ml of boiling water. Add the tomato purée then simmer for about 20 minutes.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove them from the oven, but leave it switched on. Arrange the croutons on a small baking tray and put them in the oven to bake for about 8 minutes. Now scrape the tomatoes and all their juices into a food processor, rescue the garlic cloves from the tray, and then simply squeeze the pulp to join the tomatoes and throw away the skins. Then add the contents of the potato saucepan and whiz everything to a thick purée, not too smooth. If you want to, you can sieve the pips out, but I prefer to leave them in because I prefer that texture. The soup is now ready for reheating – very gently.
Just before serving the soup make the basil purée. Strip the leaves into a mortar, sprinkle them with half a teaspoon of salt, then bash the leaves down with the pestle. It takes a minute or two for the leaves to become a purée. Now add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and stir well. To serve the soup, pour it into warm serving bowls and drizzle the basil purée on the surface, then finally sprinkle on the croutons and serve with some warm bread.
DELICIOUS!:p
3 lb (1.35 kg) ripe, red, firm tomatoes
A good handful of fresh basil
3 fat cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for dipping
1 large potato, about 6 oz (175 g)
2 rounded teaspoons tomato purée
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the croutons:
3 oz (75 g) ciabatta, crusts removed, cut into small dice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 level tablespoon black olive paste
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C).
You will also need a good solid, shallow roasting tray about 14 x 11 x ¾ inches deep (35 x 28 x 2 cm deep).
First of all, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water on them, leave for 1 minute before removing the skins. Slice each tomato in half and put them on the baking tray, cut side upperwards. Place the garlic cloves still in the skins on the tray with the tomatoes. Then season everything with salt and pepper and sprinkle a few droplets of olive oil on each tomato half and some on the garlic. Then finally top each one with a piece of basil leaf (dipping the leaf in oil first to give it a good coating).
Put the tray into the oven and roast for 1 hour or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened.
While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the croutons by placing the bread cubes in a bowl, with the oil and the olive paste, then toss them around getting them well covered in the mix.
20 minutes before the end of the roasting time, peel and chop the potato, place it in a saucepan with some salt and 570 ml of boiling water. Add the tomato purée then simmer for about 20 minutes.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove them from the oven, but leave it switched on. Arrange the croutons on a small baking tray and put them in the oven to bake for about 8 minutes. Now scrape the tomatoes and all their juices into a food processor, rescue the garlic cloves from the tray, and then simply squeeze the pulp to join the tomatoes and throw away the skins. Then add the contents of the potato saucepan and whiz everything to a thick purée, not too smooth. If you want to, you can sieve the pips out, but I prefer to leave them in because I prefer that texture. The soup is now ready for reheating – very gently.
Just before serving the soup make the basil purée. Strip the leaves into a mortar, sprinkle them with half a teaspoon of salt, then bash the leaves down with the pestle. It takes a minute or two for the leaves to become a purée. Now add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and stir well. To serve the soup, pour it into warm serving bowls and drizzle the basil purée on the surface, then finally sprinkle on the croutons and serve with some warm bread.
DELICIOUS!:p