Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup

Ingredients

For the soup

• 675g cherry tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 450ml light vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve

• 100g croutons
• 1 tbsp chives finely chopped
• Soya cream optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.
2. Place the tomatoes and cloves of garlic in a roasting dish in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes until the garlic is tender when pierced with a knife, and the tomatoes are colouring and splitting.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion until translucent.
4. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to the onions, together with the roasted tomatoes and all the juices from the roasting pan.
5. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Cool, then blend until the soup is very smooth (make sure all the tomato skins are well blended).
6. Return the soup to a clean pan, season to taste and gently reheat.
7. Serve in warmed soup bowls topped with croutons and a sprinkling of chopped chives or a swirl of soya cream if liked.