This deeply satisfying classic soup is an excellent way of using up a glut of tomatoes and any stale bread. A thick soup, no doubt designed to make tomato soup substantial enough to eat as a main course, it is often made entirely with canned tomatoes, but better if you include some sun-ripened fresh ones.
Method
- Roughly chop 200g ripe, sweet-sharp tomatoes.
- Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan, then add a couple of cloves of peeled and sliced garlic. Let them soften for a minute or two then add the tomatoes and a 400g can of plum tomatoes, then a can full of water.
- Bring to the boil, then immediately turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add 12 -15 large basil leaves, salt and black pepper and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Finely tear up four or five thick slices of good bread, push them down into the soup or then serve in deep bowls, trickled with olive oil.
Ingredients
- 400 grams ripe tomatoes
- 4 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 800 grams can of plum tomatoes
- 30 basil leaves
- 10 slices bread
Additional tips: Adding in some fresh tomatoes at their peak ripeness adds a sweet-sharp note that pairs beautifully with the strong flavor of tinned tomatoes. When tomatoes are not in season, you can still make this soup with solely tinned tomatoes if you have bread that needs using up, but the flavor will be different.
Stale bread will stay firm but juicy in the soup. If yours is fresh you can toast it first to get rid of some moisture. Add the bread at the last minute so it doesn’t break up in the soup
