tomato and basil soup
The soup is light and fresh but paired with a delicious toastie it makes a filling lunch or dinner.
soup
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 400g tinned tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 punnet roma tomatoes, roasted
- 750ml vegetable stock
basil oil
- ½ bunch basil
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
grilled cheese
- 8 slices sourdough
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- olive oil
instructions
Roast tomatoes on an oven tray in a low oven around 80 degrees for 4-6 hours. This can be done overnight or do first thing in the morning.
Add a couple of lugs of olive oil to a large deep saucepan, add the carrots, onion, celery and sauté for a couple of minutes then add the garlic. Add the tinned and roasted tomatoes, stir to combine then add the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes. Puree the soup to a smooth consistency.
For the basil oil, add the basil and olive oil together and use a bamix or hand held mixer to combine to a smooth oil. Season with salt.
For the grilled cheese, place a slice of each cheese on the 4 slices of bread. Sandwich them with the remaining bread and drizzle with olive oil and grill in a hot fry pan or sandwich toaster. Cut in half.
Serve the soup drizzled with basil oil on top and the grilled cheese on the side.