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21.03.2015

2 ratings, avg : 5.00
4-6

A gorgeous tomato soup made with roasted cherry and grape tomatoes and onions. Adding cheesy tortellini at the end turns this soup into a complete and very filling meal.

As you know I live in Greece. So beautiful tomatoes are almost taken for granted. Except, that is, in the depths of winter. Then it’s not so easy to find great tomatoes. And that of course is natural, since, well, it’s not their season. But when you have a Mister who doesn’t eat any salad stuff except tomatoes and cucumber… well you have to try. The best solution for me has been to turn to cherry and grape tomatoes. They seem to be fabulously tasty all year round and have pretty much saved the day in this house.

You may point out that we are not in the depths of winter any more. True. Spring is making her approach, although it seems to be a very cautious and slow one, with very chilly winds and a sun that is just hot enough to lure you out without a jacket, only to hide behind huge clouds and send you shivering back to put some sensible clothes on.

Let me just say I’m not complaining. I am a winter person, not a (Greek) summer person. I love warm weather, but by warm I mean the kind we have in May. Anything hotter and I cannot function. Yes, I know I am living in the wrong country, thank you very much.

So, lovely cool weather calls for soup. Tomato soup is one of my favourites, and here I’ve experimented with roasting them beforehand. Lovely. I used cherry and grape tomatoes but also regular tomatoes that come on the vine. Buying tomatoes still attached to a vine is great; it keeps them fresh for much longer and helps with the ripening process as it “feeds” the fruit with nutrients and moisture. Roasting them with the onions definitely adds a special something to the final result. And the tortellini? Well they just transform this soup into a super filling and hearty meal. If you let this soup sit it will thicken, so it’s best served immediately. If you have leftovers add some veggie stock to thin it out while reheating. Check out the notes at the bottom for some extra serving suggestions.

Ingredients

3 Tbs olive oil

800 gr tomatoes on the vine, quartered

700 gr cherry and grape tomatoes, whole

2 onions, medium, quartered

4 (approx. 200-230 gr total) roasted red peppers, from a jar

500 ml vegetable stock, hot

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp thyme, dried

1/2 tsp basil, dried

1/2 tsp smoked paprika, sweet

1/4 tsp cumin, powdered

250 gr tortellini, with cheese filling

grated (shredded) yellow cheese to serve (any type that melts nicely)

Step 1

Add the olive oil to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven while it preheats to 190C (fan). When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and onions (spaced out) and roast for 20 minutes until soft.

Step 2

Empty the tomatoes and onions, together with their juices, into a large saucepan. Put the pan on the stove on high heat and add the peppers and stock. Bring to a boil and add the salt, pepper, sugar, thyme, basil, paprika and cumin. Turn heat right down and let simmer for 50 minutes.

Step 3

Take the pan off the heat and blend the soup with a stick blender. Return to the stove on medium heat, and when it comes back to a boil add the tortellini. Stir, reduce heat again and simmer till the pasta is soft (about 15 to 20 minutes). Serve immediately with grated cheese on top.

Serving suggestions
- Serve with grated cheese or try it with crumbled feta on top.
- Towards end of cooking time add some cream and/or baby spinach and let simmer till wilted.
- Some smoked pork makes a nice accompaniment to this soup.
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The Greek version of this post is sponsored by Lucia Tomato.

2 ratings, avg : 5.00

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