Best Ever Tomato Soup

My favourite soup is tomato soup. In fact, I absolutely adore tomatoes and they form a large part of my diet. What makes this dish so delish is that I roast about 2kg of fresh roma tomatoes slowly. I de-seed and core them and after roasting I place them in a bowl covered in aluminium foil. This makes it easier to remove the skin. The capsicum also gives it a sweet flavour and if you want a bit of bite, add one chopped chile. The longer this soup cooks the better the flavour.

The best tomatoes to buy are not those from a supermarket. Their tomatoes tend to be fairly flavourless. If you have a big enough back garden, grow your own. Or, visit your local fresh food market and grab a box full.

ingredients

2kg roma tomatoes
1 brown onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 red capsicum
1 red chile, chopped (optional)
3 rashers of bacon (or you can use pancetta)
10 basil leaves, chopped
sprig of oregano
olive oil
2 litres chicken stock
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of raw sugar
freshly ground black pepper & sea salt to season

instructions

Cut the tomatoes in half, core them & remove the seeds. Place them on a tray covered in aluminium foil and place them under an oven grill until the skins turn black. In the meantime, core & de-seed the capsicum and place it under the same grill, or, if you have a gas cook top, using a pair of tongs slowly roast the capsicum over the stove. Once the skin begins to turn black cover it in aluminium foil and let sweat.

When the tomatoes are roasted place them in a heat proof bowl and cover with aluminium foil, let them sweat until the skins remove easily.

In a heavy saucepan,on medium heat, add the olive oil, finely diced onion and bacon and cook until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, being careful not to burn it unless it goes bitter. Add the basil and oregano. (Also add the chiles if desired). Once the skins have been removed from the tomatoes and capsicum add them to the pot and cook, stirring regularly, for about half an hour.

Then, gradually add the stock. Then sugar. The sugar balances out the acidity of the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and cook, with the lid on and stirring regularly, for 1-2 hours. Then take a stick mixer and blend the soup, add the salt & pepper to taste. Cook a further half an hour, then turn off the heat and leave to sit overnight, with the lid on. This soup tastes better the day after.

French Onion Soup

I make French Onion Soup several times over winter. It's great for healthy lungs and it's a filling soup for those cold winter days (well, as cold as it can get in Melbourne!). I've used a variety of recipes over the years: some ask for apple cider, others dry white wine and brandy and others require no alcohol at all. The recipe below is a combination of several that I've used.

ingredients

1kg brown onion
80g butter
2 litres beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper & sea salt to taste

instructions

I always use a 24cm, 3.8l Le Chasseur round French oven and prepare the onions using a mandolin. The best French Onion Soups are those that are made with a lot of time and patience. The longer you cook the onions before adding the stock, the better.

Slice the onions and melt the butter in the pot. Cook these together slowly over a low heat with the thyme for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly (I like to cook a little longer, but you may not have the luxury of time that I have!). The aim is to get the onions to turn a golden colour and caramelise so as to give the soup that nice brown glow.

Put the lid on and leave it for about an hour, again stirring regularly. Then gradually add 2 litres of beef stock, wine and brandy. Cook on a slow heat for about 3 to 4 hours, then turn the heat off and leave the soup to stand overnight. It always tastes best the day after.

Serve it with grilled cheese baguette, preferably gruyère but colby will do.