Make Ahead
Tomato and courgette soup
- Serves 4
Author Notes
Given my obvious love of tomatoes, I get positively delirious at this time of year when they are piling up all around me and at their absolute best. We just got back from a two week holiday to find our garden overflowing with perfectly ripe tomatoes and courgettes (zucchini). Very handy as I came back from holiday feeling in need of a major injection of fruit and veg.
My boys still aren’t crazy about courgettes but I remembered a recipe my Mum used to make when she was overrun with them so I rustled it up at lunchtime and it went down a treat.
I love that courgettes add a real creaminess to soups when blended. Great if you’re trying to cut down on adding cream to things or if you are vegan. I admit I don’t really like cream in soups, I find it dulls down the flavours too much and if I’m going to eat cream, I’d rather eat it with a nice slice of pie thank you very much.
This is a really easy way to wade your way through a glut of summer veggies. It freezes really well too so I’ll be stowing some away ready for a day when the season is over and I want a taste of summer to brighten my day.
My kids are still pretty messy at eating soup so I tend to toast a thick slice of country bread and chop it into large croutons then throw it into their bowl and let it sit in the soup for a few minutes to thicken it. The way the Italians do with their soups.
It is also lovely served with a piece of toasted bread that has been gently rubbed with garlic and drizzled in good olive oil. A grating of Parmesan would be yummy too.
This soup would also work beautifully as a sauce for pasta or with some white beans mixed through. —You Say Tomato
Ingredients
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
-
2-3
large tomatoes, chopped with the skin left on and seeds still in (around 2 cups when chopped)
-
2-3
courgettes (zucchini)
-
3
cloves garlic
-
2
red bell peppers
-
1
large handful of basil leaves (the more the merrier)
-
1 teaspoon
or so red wine vinegar
-
1 teaspoon
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper adjust to taste
Directions
- Set a large pan on a low heat (I use my Le Creuset) and add the olive oil
- Chop the red pepper into a rough but small dice then add to the pan along with a generous pinch of salt
- Dice the courgette and add to the pepper, stir well and cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes
- While the vegetables cook, chop the tomatoes and use your hands to squish them into a smoothish sauce. I like to use the biggest tomatoes I have as there is a better skin to flesh ratio. Smaller tomatoes will work too but there will be more skin. Not really an issue as we’re blending but I still prefer a big tomato!
- Slice the garlic and add to the courgettes and peppers and cook for another minute or two until the vegetables are golden and softening but not too squishy
- Add the tomatoes to the pan, stir and cover with a lid then simmer for 10 minutes
- Throw the basil, a good grind of black pepper and red wine vinegar into the pan then blend with either an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Taste and adjust the acid and salt to taste.
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