When I think of comfort food, the first thing that springs to mind is always a good, chunky tomato soup with crusty garlic bread. I’ve tried many different methods, but this is far and away the easiest way of making tomato soup that I’ve found—and, best of all, it’s stripped right down to the basic ingredients so there is nothing that interferes with the flavour of the beautiful tomatoes! Tomato prices typically spike to ridiculous levels during winter, so jump in quick and make this while it’s still an affordable meal.
1.5 kg tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 large red onion
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
bunch of fresh basil, or 2 Tbsp out of the tube loaf of ciabatta bread 4 cloves garlic
75g butter
▴ Heat the oven to 220°C. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and put into a baking tray. Crush the garlic with the side of a knife and add to the tray. Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until tomatoes look wrinkly and cooked.
▴ Peel and chop the onions. Fry in a pan on medium heat until they soften, about 5-10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and let it reduce a little.
▴ Once the tomatoes are done, add to the pan with the onions. Stir in the basil and take off the heat.
▴ If you have a blender, blend the soup in two batches until smooth. If you don’t, then use a masher or fork to smash the tomatoes up as much as possible (if you’re not using a blender, you might like to grate the garlic and chop the onions very finely, to make things easier).
Season and add a drizzle of olive oil, then serve with the garlic bread. If you want a creamier texture, add dollops of crème fraiche on top just before serving.
Garlic bread:
▴ Soften the butter in the microwave in 10-second bursts, mixing in between – you want it soft enough to spread, but not melted! Grate or finely chop the garlic and add to the butter. Cut the ciabatta in half and spread the mixture over top. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s “30 Minute Meals”.