Roast tomato and basil soup on a budget

The cooler weather is bringing in a whole new host of concerns due to the current cost of living crisis. I'm constantly looking for ways to save the pennies and keep warm!

This rustic soup recipe does both and works out at around only 20p per portion (with a bit of scrounging!).

Firstly (obviously) you'll need some tomatoes. I swindled these from my ex mother in law and they're super juicy, slightly overripe plummy boys.

Pretty much any kind of tomato will do, but the riper the better to give it that really yummy, rich, sweet taste.

Growing your own is super easy, you just need a pot, some compost and a sunny windowsill. If you're super savvy, you can even grow them from seeds from other tomatoes rather than forking out for a packet. Take a look at some top tommy tips on here.

Alternatively, you're bound to know somebody who grows their own and they will be inundated with the fruity little devils and will be more than happy to palm some off to a good home.

If not, you can always go for the easier, albeit pricier option, of just buying some.

All the same above applies to the red onion, basil and garlic. Forage where possible, but if not, you can buy them for pennies at a local market.

Alternatively, if you're making this in spring/summer, try adding wild garlic leaves. It grows like mad in woodland all over the UK. And it's easy enough to find as you can smell it from a mile off. If using wild garlic, don't add it at the roasting stage. Instead chop it and add it whilst the soup is simmering.

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Recipe

Cooking time: approx 1 hour

Equipment: roasting tin or baking tray, saucepan, hand blender

Ingredients

Loads of tomatoes - around enough to fill a roasting tin once halved

1 x red or white onion

6 cloves of garlic (peeled)

1 tbsp Olive or vegetable oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tspn brown sugar

Vegetable stock cube

Fresh or dried basil

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees (fan 180).

2. Halve the tomatoes and lay seed side up on the roasting tin. Roughly chop the onion into large chunks and wedge this and the full garlic cloves in amongst the tommies.

3. Drizzle with oil and the balsamic vinegar. Dust with the brown sugar and season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast for around 20-30 mins until the tomatoes begin to caramelise (read: burn slightly). This is what gives it the extra scrumptious flavour.

5. Remove from the oven and dump in a big saucepan. Make sure you scrape off and add in all those scrumptious sticky bits from the roasting tin.

6. Add one pint (around 500ml) of vegetable stock (chicken stock also does the trick) and simmer for around 30 minutes.

7. Remove from heat and attack it with the hand blender. Make sure you have it deep enough in the pan to avoid making your kitchen look like something Jeffrey Dahmer would be proud of. Blend until it's the consistency you want.

8. If it's too thin for your taste, pop it back on the heat and reduce it a little more. If it's too thick, whack in a little water.

9. Roughly chop the fresh basil and stir in.

10. Serve and enjoy. Preferably with a honking big chonk of homemade crusty bread and even sprinkle with a little Parmesan. If you're feeling particularly extravagant, stir through some sour cream or double cream just before serving.

As an alternative to serving with fresh bread, if you have some that has seen slightly better days, tear it or chop it up, stick it on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and add a little salt and whack it in the oven for 5-10 minutes for some tasty little croutons.

This soup also freezes like a boss. Portion it up into tubs or even food bags and pop it in your freezer once it has cooled. To warm, pop it in the microwave or stick it back in a pan. You may need to add a tad more water to loosen it, but it tastes just as fresh as the day you made it.

Schhhhlllluuuuuuuuurp.