Homegrown Tomato Soup
Anyone who grows tomatoes will tell you that at some point in the season you will have an abundance of tomatoes and struggle to find the right thing to do with them before they all go bad. So it’s important to have a few tomato based recipes up your sleeve so nothing gets wasted.
Soup is a great option because you can easily use a variety of tomatoes altogether to give a powerful tomato flavour. This particular tomato soup recipe also gives you a chance to use a few other homegrown root vegetables, and timed right I’ve also found this perfect for using the last of some of my annual herbs like basil.
You already know I’m a big advocate of batch cooking and this homemade tomato soup is a recipe I love making to stock my freezer for colder days. There is just no better feeling than when the temperatures drop, the days are a little darker, and you can sip steaming hot tomato soup under a blanket on the sofa to make yourself feel a little better. I actually made this when I was starting to feel under the weather and felt like the fresh vegetable goodness helped me fight off a nasty cold.
Being able to use so many homegrown ingredients makes this a special dish because it really is the fruits of your labour that make it possible, but it’s also something you can make super easily with fresh vegetables from the market, farm shop or store.
Celery is one thing I’ve never grown, but I included it in this soup recipe because it was something I had going spare in the fridge at the time. It is completely optional to include if it’s not a vegetable you like to eat, buy or grow - I won’t take offence!
TIP: Try making this mid to late September with you final carrot harvest, and near to final tomato haul.
INGREDIENTS
2 homegrown carrots (diced)
1.2kg homegrown tomatoes (any type)
1 large homegrown red onion (diced)
2 small homegrown red peppers (or 1 large from the shop) (diced)
2 celery sticks (optional) (thinly sliced)
a big handful of fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
2 sticks of fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 litre chicken stock (homemade is possible)
2 tbs tomato puree
Single cream (optional to serve)
METHOD
In a wide and deep frying pan, fry the diced onion, peppers, celery and carrot until soft - don’t rush this bit, it takes around 5-7min
Roughly chop the homegrown tomatoes and add to the pan with the tomato puree and stir through. Cook for another 5min until tomatoes start to breakdown and soften
Add the garlic, fresh herbs, and season with salt and pepper
Add the stock and simmer covered for 20mins
In batches as needed, blitz in a food processor or smoothie maker (or with a stick blender) until super smooth
Allow to cool and portion up to store, freeze or re heat to serve
Serve with a swirl of single cream for a creamy taste as required
This recipe makes approx. 6 portions.
