Hi everyone,

I pledged this week to make some soup, and have a Meat-free day, and so it appears that today is the day - as so far I've eaten Vegetarian food for breakfast and lunch, and I hope to do something Vegetarian this evening too.

This is a soup recipe called Roast Tomato Soup (Source = “The Soup Book” (edited by Sophie Grigson) Soil Association publication.)

Serves 4 Prep 10 mins Cook 30 mins Freeze: Up to 3 months.

Ingredients:

8 plum tomatoes, about 675g (1.5 lb) in total, quartered

1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

3 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 litre (1.75 pints) hot vegetable stock

3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180’C (350’F/Gas 4). Put the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on baking trays covered with greaseproof paper. Drizzle with the oil, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast until they are soft, caramelised, and slightly browned – allow 10-15 mins for the garlic, 15-20 mins for the onion, and 25 mins for the tomatoes. Squeeze the garlic from their skins once they have cooled slightly.

2.Transfer to a blender, add the stock and tomato paste, then whiz until smooth but still slightly chunky. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, reheat gently, and serve hot.

Tip: “For home-made food in a jiffy, roast the vegetables up to three days in advance and keep them in the fridge. This soup then takes just minutes to prepare” This quote is by Sofia Larrinua-Craxton.

This soup is delicious - and I am intending to use some of the soup as a base for a sauce in my evening meal, and I will freeze the remainder. It has a lovely depth of flavour - really enjoyed it!

Zest