Tell me something… what’s the most difficult thing for you to do after coming back home from holidays? Is it getting back to your routine? Well, for me it is.
Come to think of it, the whole holiday thing derails my routine or whatever minimal order that I have in life. It starts with the anticipation and excitement of the “going on holiday”, then the traveling jitters, the the actual holiday and finally the “coming back home” part.
Well, it’s been almost a month since my holiday, but am yet to get back to my routine. Usually, work, kids or spouse’s work brings back somebody to routine pretty fast. Well, none of this applies to me. Oh yeah, that reminds me, I haven't told you yet… Well, we (Jose & myself) started our own venture a few months ago, so the timing is very much flexible for him and for me it was always flexible ;)
Meanwhile I also developed an aversion to my iMac. I tried not to go anywhere near it and I used my phone for accessing the internet and email. For the record, I dislike (hate is a strong word, so I’m sticking with dislike) using my phone for anything other than calling or messaging. Well, I’m old fashioned that way. Since all my blog related things are on my desktop, I was kinda out of touch of that too.
I guess, the time has come for me to let go of my holiday hangover and get back to whatever it is I’ve to get back to. So, here I am sharing this post with you. I guess I should be ok, after publishing this post :)
Coming to this recipe, it’s apt for the weather that we are having here in Bahrain. It’s not yet cold but it’s pleasant and it’s a good time to have some piping hot soup in the evening. Tomato soup is almost like a comfort food to me. The roasting of the tomatoes and the addition of basil leaves adds to the flavour of the soup. It’s comforting and healthy too. You can make a wonderful meal of this Tomato soup with some Garlic Toast
Check out other soup recipes here
Here is the recipe…
Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the veggies (tomato, carrot, onion and garlic). Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven @ 200 C for 25-30 mins…
Transfer the roasted veggies along with the juices to a deep dish. Add basil leaves (1 cup), 2 cups of water and 3/4 – 1 cup of Chicken stock (you can use veg stock or water). Bring to boil…
Simmer for 15 – 20 mins. Use immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until everything is smooth. Bring it back to stove and add a knob of butter and grated cheese (if using). Cook till the cheese and butter is melted. Do a taste test and add more salt and pepper, if required…
Ingredients
- 1 kg Tomato (cut into thick wedges)
- 1 cup Basil leaves
- 1 medium Carrot (sliced)
- 1 medium Onion (quartered)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1.5 tbsp Balsamic vinegar (refer notes for substitute)
- 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper ( to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven @ 200 C, 10 mins before using it.
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the veggies (tomato, carrot, onion and garlic). Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven @ 200 C for 25-30 mins.
- Transfer the roasted veggies along with the juices to a deep dish. Add Add basil leaves (1 cup), 2 cups of water and 3/4 – 1 cup of Chicken stock (refer notes, you can use veg stock or water). Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 mins.
- Use immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until everything is smooth. Bring it back to stove and add a knob of butter and grated cheese. Cook till the cheese and butter is melted. Do a taste test and add more salt and pepper, if required.
- Serve hot with some bread, bread sticks or garlic toast. If you wish you can drizzle some Balsamic vinegar or olive oil while serving.
Dear Maria,
You didn’t mention how to incorporate the ‘one cup of basil leaves’ into the soup. I do understand a leaf or two can be used as garnish, but what about the rest? Should it be boiled along with the ingredients or added fresh while being blended? It has a strong flavor though. My guess is to add it while simmering. But I am not sure so do enlighten me. Thanks.
Regards
Elizabeth