Tomato Soup

Method

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Cut a shallow cross in the base of 350 g of tomatoes and lower them in for 30 seconds, until the skins split. Lift out, cool briefly under cold water, then slip off the skins. Chop roughly on a board and scrape everything, juice and seeds included, into a bowl.
2. Warm 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add 0.5 of finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt and sweat gently for 8 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and sweet but not coloured. Add 1 sliced garlic clove and cook 1 minute more, just until fragrant.
3. Stir in 1 tsp of tomato purée and fry it for 1 minute, pressing it against the base of the pan until it darkens slightly — this takes the raw edge off and deepens the colour of the finished soup.