Food: Quick cherry tomato soup with basil oil
Quick cherry tomato soup with basil oil
SERVES 4
SOUP
- 4 tbsp good olive oil
- 3 banana shallots peeled halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1.2kg · 2¾ lb baby plum tomatoes
- sea salt
- cayenne pepper
TO FINISH
- 20g · ¾ oz basil leaves
- a squeeze of lemon juice
♥ Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the shallots for about 5 minutes until softened and starting to colour, stirring frequently and adding the garlic 1-2 minutes before the end. Stir in the balsamic vinegar which should evaporate almost immediately, then add the tomatoes and some salt and fry for about 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes to a mushy purée.
♥ In the meantime, finely chop the basil leaves in a food processor, then spoon them into a small bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little salt.
♥ Purée the contents of the pan in batches in a blender with a little cayenne pepper, and pass through a sieve into a large bowl, or a clean pan if you need to reheat the finished soup. Serve in warm bowls, with some of the basil oil spooned over.
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