Roast Tomato and Oregano Soup

This deliciously deep, full flavoured Autumnal soup is fragrant with the earthy aroma of oregano. It is included as a recipe card in one of this month’s Jekka’s Culinary Boxes.

Tomato and oregano are such good bed fellows that they work in everything from pizza sauce to tomato and onion salad but here they combine to create a punchy, satisfying dinner soup which warms the soul as well as the tummy on a cold rainy evening.

It’s also a great way to use the glut of fully ripe end of summer tomatoes which roll through the seasons into this cooler time of year.

If you like, you can make it in larger batches and freeze for up to 3 months.

Method

Serves 8

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour

Pre-heat oven to 200c/180c/Gas Mark 6.

Pile the tomatoes and onions into roasting tins and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the tomatoes release their liquid and start to shrivel.

Blend the soup in batches until smooth, along with all but a few of the oregano leaves. Sieve into a clean pan and warm through if necessary.

Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

To serve, drizzle over a little olive oil and top with a few of the remaining oregano leaves.

Ingredients

2kg tomatoes, washed and quartered

5 cloves garlic, peel and lightly bashed

3 large red onions, peeled and quartered

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 handfuls of fresh oregano leaves

Fine Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper