Tomato Soup

This recipe is perfect on a chillier afternoon during a typically British summer. It can also be served slightly cooler on a hot day, and is a great recipe to make with children, as they love to get involved with peeling the tomatoes. For a more scintillating finish, try stirring in basil, dill, mint or tarragon at the end, or just a beautiful swirl of extra cream.

Ingredients

20 ripe tomatoes
125g (4oz) butter
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
200ml (7 fl oz) double cream
Salt and pepper

Method

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the tomatoes for two to three minutes, or until the skins split when poked with a sharp knife. Remove to a bowl to cool. Clean the pan and add the butter and onions. Sauté gently for ten minutes. Meanwhile peel (using two bowls, one for the tomatoes and one for the pips and skins), deseed and quarter the tomatoes. Put into the pot with the onions and season with pepper. Simmer for five minutes. Squeeze the juice of pips and skins (using the back of a spoon against a sieve) into the pot. Simmer for a further 15 minutes. Blend in the cream and a little water, if needed, and season to taste. Serve with hot buttered toast or fresh bread.