Rich tomato soup
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe taken from The Italian Cookery Course by Katie Caldesi (Kyle Cathie, £19.99)Photographed by Dan Jones
Rich tomato soup
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
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Katie Caldesi
Katie Caldesi is a food writer who cooks up regional Italian food with her husband Giancarlo at their London bar and restaurant Caffè Caldesi, cookery school La Cucina Caldesi and Bray restaurant Caldesi in Campagna.
Katie Caldesi
Katie Caldesi is a food writer who cooks up regional Italian food with her husband Giancarlo at their London bar and restaurant Caffè Caldesi, cookery school La Cucina Caldesi and Bray restaurant Caldesi in Campagna.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 stick of celery stick, halved
- 1 carrot, cut in half lengthways
- 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and squashed
- 100ml olive oil
- 1kg best-quality ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp fresh oregano (or thyme)
- a handful of basil leaves, plus a few torn leaves to garnish
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 litre vegetable stock (or water)
- 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 1-2 tsp sugar (optional)
Step by step
Get ahead
The soup can be made a couple of days ahead and reheated.
- Fry the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and some seasoning in the oil for a few minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, herbs and tomato purée and fry for 10-15 minutes. Add the stock (or water) and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
-
Discard the garlic, carrot and celery and stir in the sun-TipThis relies on full-flavoured tomatoes but even if they aren't at their best, the sun-dried tomatoes will add concentrated flavour.
- Purée the soup with a stick blender and return it to the heat.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary with salt, pepper and a little sugar if you think it needs it. Serve in warm bowls with some torn basil leaves and crusty bread.
