Mary Berry's tomato soup is a quick, easy and delicious meal that can be ready in just 10 minutes, using simple store cupboard ingredients. The recipe, featured on her Foolproof Cooking programme, is one of her favourite family recipes because she always has the ingredients in the cupboard.
Simple ingredients, speedy method
The soup requires six sun-dried tomatoes in oil, two garlic cloves, three 400g tins of chopped tomatoes, 500ml of chicken or vegetable stock, one tablespoon of caster sugar, 150ml of full-fat milk, 150ml of double cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and three to four teaspoons of pesto (optional).
To begin, heat a large, deep saucepan over a medium heat and pour in one tablespoon of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Finely chop the garlic and add it to the pan, stir-frying for a few seconds until fragrant and just starting to turn a light golden colour.
Simmer and blend to perfection
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and tinned tomatoes to the pan, followed by the stock and sugar. Mix all the ingredients together well, then turn up the heat slightly and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently.
Once the soup reaches boiling point, season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir thoroughly, place a lid on the pan, and turn the heat down low. Allow the soup to simmer gently for around 10 minutes, giving the tomatoes a chance to break down and the flavours to meld together.
Finish and serve
After 10 minutes, take the pan off the heat and carefully blitz the soup until velvety using a hand blender. Once completely smooth, fold in the milk and cream until fully incorporated.
Place the pan back on a low heat and gently reheat the soup, stirring from time to time. Taste and tweak the seasoning with a touch more salt and freshly ground black pepper, as required. Once piping hot and wonderfully creamy, pour the soup into bowls and swirl half a teaspoon of pesto across the top of each bowl just before serving.
