[ RECIPE ] Tomato, Basil & Pesto Soup

 

It’s definitely the time of the year when the priority is to get home from work and immediately feel the need to warm yourself up, whichever way possible! 

I often find when I get straight home it’s around 5:30pm and perhaps a little too early to be having dinner. 

Soup is a great starter and once you’ve made a batch, you can easily re-heat it the next day, or even freeze it if you’re making it in advance. 

This Tomato, Basil & Pesto soup is a really great recipe that’s easy to make and easy on the wallet too as it’s much cheaper than buying 3 cans from the supermarket! Enjoy!

 

Serves 4  |  Prep 10 Mins  |  Cooking 12 Mins

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
5 Sun-Dried Tomato (sliced)
1 x 400g Can of Cherry Tomatoes
2 x 400g Can of Plum Tomatoes
500ml Chicken Stock (use Vegetable if appropriate)
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
2 tablespoons Caster Sugar
Handful of Basil Leaves
50ml Soured Cream
Fresh Pesto

 

Place a heavy-based saucepan on a medium-high heat and add the oil. 

Once the oil is hot add the garlic and fry for a minute. 

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stock and canned tomatoes, along with the sugar and basil leaves then season well with the salt & pepper. 

Place the lid on top of the saucepan and once boiling, reduce the heat so that the soup simmers gently for the next 12 minutes. 

Next add the soured cream and carefully whizz the soup using a hand-blender. 

Adjust the seasoning if necessary by adding more sugar (if it tastes a bit sharp) or salt & pepper (if it tastes a little bland). 

Serve with a good dollop of Fresh Pesto.