Pappa Al Pomodoro Soup

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
2. Put the tomatoes in a baking tray, toss with the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until the skins burst open and begin to caramelise.
3. Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over a low–medium heat. This may seem like a lot of oil, but it is important for the flavour of this soup. Add the onion and garlic and sweat them down until they are translucent, roughly the same time it takes for the tomatoes to roast. Make sure to keep the heat quite low otherwise the flavour of the extra virgin olive oil will be altered.
4. Blitz half of the roasted tomatoes and juices in a food processor or with a stick blender, until smooth. Add this and the whole tomatoes and all the oil and juices from the pan to the onions. Tear the bread into the pan and add most of the basil. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a grind of pepper, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. The soup should be very thick, but if it is too thick stir in a few tablespoons of water.
5. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
6. Serve up in bowls with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the remaining basil scattered over the top.

• Servings : 4
• Ready in : 40 Minutes
• Course : Lunch, Soups
• Recipe Type : Soups, Dinner Parties, Jordan Bourke, Vegetables, A-Z