Orange, Carrot and Tomato Soup Recipe
We don't grow our own tomatoes here in Yorkshire, but friends and vegetable stands offer tempting heritage and deliciously ripe tomatoes aplenty. We save these fresh ones for simple tomato salads; Mum and I can’t resist a plate of thinly sliced, colourful tomatoes, sprinkled with salt, pepper, torn basil leaves and perhaps a dash of a mustardy vinaigrette dressing.
I also love to add slices of fresh mozzarella, alternating with the tomatoes, for a quintessential summer salad. Served with a hunk of baguette, a tomato and mozzarella salad is one of my favourite fuss-free summer suppers.
Salads, however, do lend themselves particularly well to al fresco dining weather, and instead of warm, sunny days, Yorkshire has been having typically English rather overcast and cool weeks, when a salad just doesn't feel quite right. So rather than salads, I’ve been making a light, creamy tomato soup, which is tasty and heartening with a warm, crusty roll. For this soup, I use two tins of tomatoes (preferably Italian and/or organic) and save the homegrown treasures for a warmer day.
Orange, Carrot and Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 (400g) tins of peeled, plum tomatoes, broken up with scissors in large saucepan if not already chopped (save the tins to measure in the stock)
2 peeled and sliced carrots
2 chopped red onions
1 tsp maple syrup (or honey)
3 (400g) tins of vegetable stock (or, I use 2 vegetable stock cubes to make the stock and dissolve each one in a saved tomato tin with hot water from the kettle, adding an additional tin of hot water into the saucepan when the stock is added)
salt and freshly ground pepper
strip of fresh lemon peel (I use a small, serrated knife to cut off a slice of peel from around the equator of a lemon, taking as little of the pith as possible. Then cut the lemon in half, and pop in the fridge to use later.)
1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence or Mixed Italian Herbs
2 bayleaves
3/4 cup of cream or milk, plus additional cream to swirl on top to serve if liked
zest and juice of an orange
small handful of finely chopped parsley, to serve
Method:
1/ Mix the sliced carrots and the chopped onions into the saucepan where the tins of tomatoes have been broken up roughly with a pair of scissors.
2/ Add maple syrup, freshly ground pepper, a pinch of salt, the 3 tins of vegetable stock, or equivalent with stock cubes dissolved in hot water, the strip of lemon peel, the herbes de provence and bayleaves.
3/ Cover and simmer for 40 mins, or until carrots are soft.
4/ Remove the bayleaves and strip of lemon then blend with a stick blender in the saucepan. Rub the mixture through a plastic sieve (you want to remove any bits of skin and seeds left from the tomatoes) into a clean saucepan.
5/ Bring to the boil, taste to add more pepper or salt as desired, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer and add the juice and zest of an orange and the cream or milk and allow to heat through without boiling.
6/ Top with additional swirl of cream (if using), chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper to taste in bowls. This soup is especially nice served with warm, crusty rolls and butter.
Enjoy!
