Fresh Tomato Soup

Nothing tastes better than a fresh homemade tomato soup. The sight of a ripe, red tomato on a vine and its juicy taste when freshly picked – can anything beat it? Not only does it thrills the taste buds and brightens our dinner table, it has disease fighting properties as well. Every ripe red tomato gives 40 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, plus lots of vitamin A and potassium. Loaded with Lycopene which is the strongest natural antioxidant (and Dr Oz swears by it too) helps prevent heart disease, prostrate, breast and lung cancer. It helps cure sunburns, acts as blood purifier, is a natural antiseptic, lowers cholesterol, improves resistance and immunity….the list is never ending. And a tomato has only about 35 calories.

So treat yourself and your family to this fresh, light tomato soup. With only a handful of ingredients, the rich taste of your tomatoes will come shining through.

Make an extra batch and freeze it in an airtight container, saving a bit of summer for when the weather gets cold and you're ready for a winter warm-up.

Preparation and cooking time: 20+ 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1” piece ginger grated
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 8 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2-3 cups Vegetable stock
• Bread croutons for garnish

Method:

• Melt butter in a heavy bottom pan. Add bay leaf, ginger, garlic and stir occasionally for a minute. Add the onions, tomatoes, vegetable stock, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is soft and pulpy.
• Remove the pan from the heat, leave it to cool slightly, and then puree in a blender or food processor. Push the mixture through a strainer into a clean pan through a wooden spoon.
• Re-heat the soup but do not boil. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, add some butter and croutons to each and serve immediately.