This wonderfully warming soup is made with English vine-ripened tomatoes that are oven-roasted to bring out their natural sweetness. It’s perfect to serve on Bonfire Night with crusty bread. For outdoor eating serve in warmed mugs.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 950g English vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
- 2 red onions, finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 rashers dry cure smoked streaky bacon
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
Method
- Preheat the oven if necessary to 220°C/ESSE Dial Guide HOT. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of HOT).
- Place the tomatoes, red onion and garlic in a roasting tin. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast for 20 minutes until softened and slightly charred.
- Meanwhile, put the bacon on a rack et over a baking tray and place in the oven for the last 15 minutes of the tomatoes cooking time. Remove when crisp, leave until cool then break into pieces.
- Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, add the roasted tomato mixture and mix well. Puree until smooth.
- Reheat if necessary then ladle into warmed bowls or mugs. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and scatter with the crispy bacon to serve.
Variation
This soup is also delicious served cold in the warm Summer months. Prepare as above, chill and serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar and torn Parma ham rather than crisply bacon.
