Creamy tomato soup
I love this roux based soup where tomato pulp gets added. The tomato pips are excluded, but you can add, it will not really make a difference. For a richer colour and taste, just add 30 ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste. Any other ingredients, such as chilies or chili sauce will also provide an extra bite if you like.
Serves 4
45 ml (3 Tbsp) cooking oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
about 12 medium (1,2 kg) ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 celery sticks, sliced
60 g butter or margarine
80 ml (50 g) cake flour
1 liter (4 cups) milk
15 ml (1 Tbsp) sugar
2 ml (¼ tsp) peri-peri
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
15 ml (1 Tbsp) freshly chopped parsley or 5 ml (1 tsp) dried
60 ml (¼ cup) milk or fresh cream, optional
1. Heat oil in a heavy-based pot and sauté onions until soft. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and celery sticks. Simmer for about 20 minutes until soft. Remove bay leaves and press tomatoes through a coarse sieve. Keep the pulp aside.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the flour and heat for about one minute. Add the milk en cook further until the sauce is smooth and thick.
3. Add the tomato pulp, sugar, peri-peri and seasoning and bring to boil. Add parsley and heat up for a few minutes. If necessary, add more milk or cream. Serve warm with bread or croûtons.
Making croûtons
4 slices white or brown bread, cut into cubes
45 ml (3 e) butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
15 ml (1 Tbsp) freshly chopped parsley or 5 ml (1 tsp) dried
Mix bread cubes with butter, garlic and parsley. Spoon into an oven pan and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 15 minutes until golden brown, turning frequently.
Alternatively fry in a heavy-based saucepan.