Roasted tomato and orange soup recipe

Roasted tomato and orange soup is so delicious. This is perfect for serving up to guests on a summery day, and you'll want to keep the recipe handy because guests will be asking for it. It's one of those combinations we'd never have thought to try but it really worked. Because the tomatoes are roasted, their flavour is sweeter and more concentrated than usual. The orange juice accentuated this sweetness, and make it fresher and more vibrant. Just like a Spanish gazpacho, you can serve this soup cold, making it a great choice for sunny, outside dining. Alternatively, serve it hot with some crusting bread for dipping in.

Ingredients

• 900g tomatoes, halved (small ones left whole)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed and diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 560ml hot vegetable stock
• 100ml orange juice
• The zest of 1 small orange, to serve
• Basil leaves, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.
2. Put the tomatoes on a large baking tray and scatter with the chopped garlic. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and a grind or two of black pepper. Place the tomatoes in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
3. After you’ve stirred the tomatoes, heat the remaining olive oil in a large, deep-sided pan and cook the onions, carrots and celery over a low heat for 20 minutes. Tip in the roasted tomatoes and garlic, add the stock and orange juice to the pan and give everything a good stir.
4. Bring the soup to a simmer for a minute or two, then take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly before liquidizing. Return the soup to the pan and check the seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. If you’re serving it immediately, make sure it’s properly heated through. If you’re going to serve the soup cold, let it cool completely, pour in to a large container and chill for a couple of hours in the fridge. Serve with a pinch of orange zest and a couple of fresh basil leaves.

Top tip for making tomato and orange soup

If you're serving this up to guests you can be rather fancy with your garnishes. Sprinkle a few edible flowers over the top - orange and yellow nasturtium look especially pretty. Alternatively, halve a couple of cherry tomatoes and sprinkle over some mustard and cress or microgreens. Or you could slice a couple of tomatoes and roast them along with the ones for the main recipe, but reserve them to float on the surface or the soup when you serve it.

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