Categories: soups

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg | 2 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes , halved lengthwise
• 600 g | 1 1/4 lbs Grape (or Cherry) tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 8 whole cloves garlic , peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), deseeded and diced
• 1 potato (100 g | 3 oz), diced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves , roughly torn

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 430°F | 220°C. Place tomatoes on a baking tray with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 25 minutes, or until soft and charred on the tops.

2. While tomatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium-sized pot/saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers (capsicum) and potato; cook while occasionally stirring, until the onion is transparent and the potato begin to crisp on the outer edges (about 6-7 minutes). Stir the tomato paste through the potatoes and onion; pour in the broth/stock; season with extra salt; cover and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low; simmer for about 15 minutes or until potato is just tender when tested with a fork. Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to the broth (save 2 tablespoons of basil to use as garnish if you wish); continue to simmer until the basil is just soft (about 2 minutes). Blend soup using a stick blender until smooth.

4. Optional: Pour the soup through a strainer or colander to remove any skins and thick tomato pieces, for a smoother soup.

5. Sprinkle with extra basil, shaved parmesan cheese, and serve with cheesy garlic bread

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