Tomato, basil and coconut soup

Serves 6-8

You will need:

● 1kg ripe tomatoes (about 10 large tomatoes)

● 3 cloves of garlic, peeled

● 3 sprigs of basil

● 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

● Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 1 tablespoon of sugar

● 150g onion, chopped

● 425ml chicken or vegetable stock

● 1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

● 3 tablespoons basil, chopped or torn

1 Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas Mark 8.

2 Cut the ripe tomatoes into quarters then in half again, removing the little core. Spread them out in a large roasting tray, add the peeled garlic cloves and the sprigs of basil, then drizzle over 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with the salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar.

3 Place the tray in the hot oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and a little browned.

4 As the tomatoes roast, place the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes until soft.

5 When cooked, add the tomatoes, the garlic and all the juices (you can discard the basil sprigs now), and the chicken or vegetable stock, whichever you’re using.

6 Increase the heat to medium-high, bring this to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Tip in the coconut milk and stir to mix. Taste and add more salt, pepper or sugar if necessary. Liquidise the soup in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. If you’d like a very smooth soup you can sieve the liquid at this point. It’s not essential but I usually do.

7 Place the soup back in the pan. You can add more stock at this point if you’d like a thinner soup.

8 Reheat the soup to serve, divide between bowls and sprinkle over the chopped or torn basil. ●