I have a confession – I have never been a huge fan of raw tomatoes. The plain salad tomato sliced into quarters type of tomato experience. That is until I went to Greece – and for the first time understood why tomatoes are classified as a fruit and not a vegetable. I don’t know what it is about the soil or the sun or just the varietals but somehow it all magically comes together to create the perfect tomato – vibrant red flesh with a sweet and juicy but mostly just robustly tomato flavour. Sliced into simple quarters and tossed with cucumber, feta, olives, capers and an anointing of olive oil and I am in my happy place – especially when enjoyed with a dose of Mediterranean sun and the glistening Aegean Sea.
When you don’t have easy access to Greek tomatoes and have to settle for your supermarket selection, the most improvement comes with slow roasting the humble tomato – concentrating the tomato flavour, adding a bit more sweet and hint of bitter through caramelisation and an aromatic or two for a subtle flavour depth. And then there’s the good glug of extra virgin olive oil – a match made in heaven. And not only in a taste profile but also in health benefits – the lycopenes in tomatoes ,when combined with olive oil, have been shown to have cardiovascular as well as anti-cancer benefits (one of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet).
Another magical flavour pairing with tomatoes (and olive oil) is something I learned from my aunt spending a summer in Franschhoek and in her kitchen. She showed me the art of slow roasting the tomato with a few pods of star anise. As I said, a magical flavour combination that just works – the subtle warm, spicy, liquorice-like flavour of the star anise complements the caramelised tomato flavour to create the perfect bowl of warm-you-from-the-inside roasted tomato soup.
Simple One Tray Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium to large Tomatoes ripe tomatoes
- 1 Red Pepper (optional)
- 2 Shallots Alternatively 1 white/red onion
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp Balsamic vinegar Rozendal Hibiscus balsamic vinegar if you can get your hands on some
- 4 pods Star Anise
- 1 tbsp Light brown sugar
- 750ml Vegetable stock
- 1 small bunch Fresh basil approximately 10g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350℉).
- Score the top of tomatoes (stem side) with a large "X" and arrange in a baking dish, scored-side facing upwards.
- Quarter the red pepper and remove the seeds and white inner membrane.
- Peel the shallots and cut in half vertically.
- Place the cut red pepper, shallots and star anise pods in between the tomatoes.
- Drizzle over a generous glug of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle over light brown sugar.
- Roast in the middle rack of the oven for 45-55 minutes until tomatoes are soft and caramelised.
- Remove from oven and pour over stock (enough to cover tomatoes). Return to oven for a further 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins of the tomatoes and red peppers (optional - lends to a smoother texture). Remove the star anise pods.
- Scoop out the roasted vegetables and add to a food processor or blender. Pour in the liquid from the roasting pan, scraping any caramelised residue with it. Pour over remaining stock (if any). Add the fresh basil and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or a swirl of mascarpone cream.
