Jeanine’s fresh tomato soup

This soup is a delicious winter warmer. Equally you can serve  it chilled in summer as a very refreshing  first course for dinner or an alfresco lunch on the patio.

Ingredients

1.5 kg.ripe tomatoes
1 slice bread, broken up
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
½  teaspoon fresh basil
½  tsp. fresh or dried oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Method

1. Put the tomatoes in a large microwave casserole, halving large ones
2. Add the bread and sprinkle with salt, sugar, basil and oregano
3. Add the chopped garlic and onion
4. Cover and cook until mushy
5. Cook on high 100% power for 10minutes, then lower to 50% and cook a further 10 minutes
6. Break up the mixture with a potato masher and serve as a chunky soup
7. If you want a smooth soup, stir and put through the food processor
8. Add 1 tablespoon wine vinegar and taste, adding more if necessary.
9. Serve immediately in a bowl with a spoonful of plain yoghurt on top and fresh crusty bread on the side

Notes

1. If you don’t have access to cheap fresh tomatoes, you can use whole canned tomatoes  instead and omit the sugar in this recipe.
2. You can make this soup in the late summer and autumn when fresh tomatoes are plentiful and cheap, then freeze for future use.