Newsletter # 61 – Roasted Tomato Soup / Sauce

Sorry for any confusion, but today’s recipe is just so versatile for it can be used as a vegan soup or with the addition of cream, crème fraiche or natural yoghurt then you will have cream of tomato soup. For the diet conscious, skim milk would be a good alternative, while almond milk would appeal to those avoiding dairy.
As a sauce, try it when you prepare lasagne or any pasta requiring a tomato sauce. It is also delicious with seafood.
Naturally this time of year is not tomato season, but I did manage to find some pretty good ones under the ‘odd bunch’ label, so the price was all right too.
In next week’s newsletter I will use this recipe as a base for ‘breakfast beans’ which I’m sure you will appreciate much more than the canned variety.

Ingredients
Method
- Assemble your ingredients

- Pre heat your oven to 175c
- Cold wash all the vegetables and prepare them
- Add any suitable peelings/off cuts to the vegetable stock – avoid onion peelings and big celery leaves
- Add bay leaves and peppercorns to the stock and bring to a slow simmer

- Simmer for 30 minutes before straining
- Meanwhile in a baking dish mix the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, chilli paste and 30ml olive oil

- Bake for 60 -90 minutes, stirring occasionally

- In a separate baking dish mix the tomatoes and the rest of the olive oil

- Bake these for at least 60 minutes before adding the ‘Masterfoods’ seasoning

- When the tomatoes are collapsing and swimming in juice transfer both the vegetables and the tomatoes to a large saucepan with the strained stock
- Bring the soup back to a simmer and adjust the seasoning

- Blend the soup with your stick blender, while still in the saucepan
- Add the shallots and parsley and blend again until all ingredients are pureed

- Check the seasoning again
- Serve

