Fresh Tomato Soup

With a glut of fresh tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse, you can only eat so much salad in a week, so the only answer to making the best use of the excess fruit, is to make fresh tomato soup. There is nothing to beat it for taste. Here goes:-

Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 onions - peeled and chopped
1 carrot - peeled and diced finely
1 clove garlic - peeled and crushed
1 stick celery - finely chopped
2tbs olive oil
450g fresh ripe tomatoes - halved
1 litre vegetable stock
1tsp sugar
salt and pepper
handful fresh basil

Method:-

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic.
• Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft.
• Add the sugar, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Liquidise until smooth.
• Stir in the basil. 
• Maybe top with a little grated cheese.
• Eat with crusty wholemeal bread - delicious!    

And why not freeze some soup for those cold winter months.  It's easy, look!