Tomato and Basil Soup

How hard can it be to make a simple tomato soup? Seriously, I was beginning to question this myself. Well, a lot harder than I originally thought that’s for sure because my first attempt failed miserably. Thankfully, I’ve now come up with this Tomato and Basil Soup recipe that tastes utterly delicious with a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity (which is where I went wrong before). Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make too. Using storecupboard ingredients this flavoursome soup is most definitely a soup I’m going to make regularly.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1hr 15mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (very finely chopped)
½ clove of garlic (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon dried basil
500g passata
400g tin of chopped tomatoes (best quality)
200ml cold water
½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper
handful of fresh basil leaves (chopped) plus extra to garnish

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large lidded casserole pan, then sauté the onions until soft.

2. Stir in the garlic and dried basil, sauté for a further couple of minutes.

3. Add the passata, tinned tomatoes, water, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and a grinding of black pepper. Stir well.

4. Bring to the boil, then put on the lid and simmer gently for 1 hour. Just before serving stir through the chopped fresh basil leaves. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a couple of basil leaves on top.

Serve the Tomato and Basil soup with crusty wholemeal rolls.

The aroma that filled the house after I made this soup was just amazing. I made the soup in the morning then had to take the girls to their gym class. It was so good to come home for lunch to the welcoming smell of homemade tomato and basil soup on a very damp and cold day. My girls and I loved the soup, I hope you enjoy it too.

Until next time.

Julie
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