How To Make Fresh Tomato And Basil Soup

Step 1: You will need...

Step 2: Prepare the ingredients

Using your large knife, cut the onion in half and slice sideways. Set aside. Now slice the carrot lengthways to create sticks. Dice finely and set aside. Finally take the celery and slice into thin half-moons and reserve for later.

Step 3: Cook the ingredients

Place the pan over a low heat and add the oil. Allow to heat and add the onions, carrots and the celery. Stir well. Cook gently until soft.

Step 4: Prepare the tomatoes

Take the tomatoes and "core" them, which means taking out the eye at the bottom of the fruit. Then halve and dice them into chunks.

Step 5: Add the tomatoes

Put the diced fresh tomatoes to the pan, and allow to stew for a few minutes. Add the plum tomatoes and stir. Add just enough chicken stock to cover, and stir again. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Step 6: Strip the basil leaves from the stalk

Place the basil on the chopping board and strip the leaves from the stalk. Since the basil is going to be roughly blended, tear the leaves in half with your fingers.

Step 7: Add the basil

Uncover the pan and add half of the basil leaves. Stir and then replace the pan lid and cook for a further ten minutes.

Step 8: Add remaining basil and season

Once cooked, allow the contents to cool down for a few minutes before adding the remaining half of the fresh basil. Stir, season with salt and pepper, and stir again.

Step 9: Blend and chill

Using the electric blender, blend the soup on high power for a couple of minutes until it takes on a smooth, velvety texture. If desired, add more stock to achieve a thinner consistency and chill for two hours.

Step 10: Serve

The soup is now ready to serve! We recommend serving it with Crostini and Green Pesto.