Roasted Tomato Soup

This is a short-cut soup, with the flavours of plump and ripe tomatoes, off set with the fresh herbs.  Always serve this soup with the swirl of cream for added richness.

This soup is a crowd-pleaser, even when the crowd is opposed to soup.  Chunks of warm Ciabatta will give you a warm and hearty feeling as the winter greets.

YIELD: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

100 ml	Olive Oil
1 kg	Plum Tomatoes; halved Alternatively use dark red, seasonal, tomatoes.
2	Onions; thinly sliced into rings
2 cloves	Garlic; halved
50 ml	Fresh Thyme; chopped
50 ml	Fresh Rosemary; chopped
30 ml	Caster Sugar
To Taste	Salt and Black Pepper
3 x 410 g cans	Tomato Soup
1	Orange; juice and rind
250 ml	Fresh cream / milk
For Garnish:
30 ml	Olive Oil
250 g	Baby Cherry Tomatoes; on the vine is even better
	Small fresh Rosemary stalks

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
2. Pour the olive oil into a roasting pan and heat in the oven until almost smoking.  Carefully tip in the halved plum tomatoes, onion rings and garlic, and toss to coat in the oil.
3. Scatter over the thyme and rosemary and sprinkle with the sugar.  Season generously with the salt and pepper.
4. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice until caramelised.
5. Tip the roasted tomatoes and flavourings into a heavy-based pot and add the tinned soup, orange juice and rind.
6. Bring to the boil, and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Place the tomato mixture into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth and creamy in texture.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. Should you prefer a very smooth soup, pour the pureed soup through a fine sieve.  Stir in the cream (or milk) and reheat before serving.

For the Garnish:

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.
2. Snip the vine tomatoes into four clusters and fry them, on the vine, for about 1 minute.

Assembling:

1. Pour the soup into heated bowls/mugs and top with the pan-roasted vine-tomatoes, drizzle the pan juices around the tomatoes and scatter fresh rosemary leaves on top (or a small twig).  Serve with warmed bread.

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