Akshay Kumar's Fitness Regime Recipes
CREAMY TOMATO SOUP SUNDRIED RECIPE
Few things are as nostalgic as a warming bowl of cream of tomato soup, but, like most foods from childhood, it can be easily improved by employing a few cheffy tricks. Roasting the tomatoes first with garlic, onion and cayenne pepper really helps to intensify their flavour and the charred edges give a lovely smoky quality to the finished soup. Then the sundried tomato pesto at the end is another big hearty flavour booster. Serve with crusty bread
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Ingredients
- 2 red onions peeled and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely sliced
- tsp ½–1cayenne pepper to taste
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes cored and halved
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
- 100 ml double cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO
- 2 tbsp –3pine nuts
- 75 g sundried tomatoes drained, oil reserved and finely chopped
- 50 g Parmesan cheese grated
- olive oil
Ingredients
FOR THE SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
- 2. Place a roasting tray on the hob over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and cayenne pepper, drizzle with enough olive oil to coat, and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the tomatoes cut side down, season with a pinch of salt, pepper and the sugar, drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to caramelise. Stir well, then transfer to the oven for 20–25 minutes.
- 3. To make the pesto, start by toasting the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden. Put the sundried tomatoes into a mortar and pound with a pestle until completely broken down. Season with a touch of salt, add the pine nuts and continue to pound until you reach a pesto consistency. Stir in the Parmesan, then add the olive oil and enough of the sundried tomato oil to bring the pesto to a spooning consistency (it should provide about 3–4 tablespoons).
- 4. Place the tray of roasted tomatoes on the hob over a medium heat and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 4–5 minutes. Add the cream, stir well and continue to simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- 5. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until almost smooth but still with a couple of chunky bits (use a potato masher for a more rustic texture. Serve warm with dollops of pesto on top.
HOW TO ENHANCE THE FLAVOUR OF TOMATOES
- Adding just a pinch of sugar to cooked tomato dishes or pasta sauces helps to bring out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness, especially when the tomatoes aren’t as ripe as they might be.