Brrr it’s cold in here! Coats and hats are out. The office heaters are on. Everyone in the country is talking about how the weather has suddenly dropped. This can only mean one thing… winter is on its way!

To combat Nippy November we are giving you a wonderful recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup with Homemade Pesto! It is like a warm hug for your tummy. You will be snug as a bug in a rug in no time! So you can put those gloves away and stride though the freezing month with pride, warmed though by this gorgeous soup! Okay the gloves were a metaphor, if it is freezing, you should probably keep the gloves on… for health reasons… seriously, it’s really cold…

Anyhoo, now is the moment that you have all been waiting for!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Homemade Pesto!

Ingredients:

Pesto:
50g basil leaves
200ml olive oil
15g pinenuts
2 cloves garlic, mashed
35g parmesan cheese

Soup:
2 kilos tomatoes, blanched and peeled
110g potatoes
1 heaped tbsp. tomato purée
275ml water
sugar
salt & pepper
crispy streaky bacon, roughly chopped

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the pesto:
Blend together the basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, half the pinenuts and garlic. Season to taste.

Toast the remaining pinenuts in a pan and roughly chop before adding to the pesto. The pesto should have a rough texture and a dribbling consistency.

For the Soup:
Cut the tomatoes in half and put into a roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the pre-heated oven for approximately 30 minutes until soft.

Cook the potatoes with the tomato purée in the water until soft.

Put the roasted tomatoes and cooked potatoes, plus the liquid, into a Magimix and blend.  Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

To serve, sprinkle with bacon and with a drizzle of pesto.

Well I think I know what I am making for supper! So yummy!

If you like this soup, it will feature (amongst other stunning dishes) in our intermediate cooking days, the next one is on 2nd January. The best way to cure the New Year hangover!

Until next time folks!
The Avenue xxx

P.S. Why don’t you try this soup with with our Soda Bread Recipe?! It is honestly a match made in heaven. You can thank us later! We only accept personally written thank you notes… just joking (ish)…