Soup is generally thought of as a winter dish but sometimes I find when it’s really hot, I want things that are easy to eat. This dish is best to make when tomatoes are in season & they are extra ripe & sweet. Tomatoes are high in lycopene, which is protective against breast, colon, lung, prostate & skin cancer. Lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, so it is always best absorbed when consumed with a fat, i.e. olive oil. Interestingly unlike most vitamins & phytochemicals that degrade in the presence of heat, lycopene’s bioavailability improves when cooked. Making this dish a lycopene rich meal.
Ingredients
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 large celery stems, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 tbsp oil
1 tsbp butter (omit to make vegan)
2.5 kg ripe tomatoes
2 cup of water
3 tsp salt
3 tsp maple syrup
Method
Score tomatoes (make a cross at the core) with a sharp small knife & place in a large pot filled with water. Bring to the boil for 1 minute. Strain tomatoes in a colander & rinse well in cold water & remove & discard the skin. Remove the core & roughly chop tomatoes, placing them in a bowl as you go to keep the delicious juices. Set aside.
Place a large pot on medium heat, add butter & oil, onions & garlic & sauté for a couple of minutes, add celery & sauté for a few more. Add potatoes tomatoes water salt & maple syrup and cook with the lid on, bring to boil then cook on low to medium heat for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are nice & soft. Turn off the heat allow to cool slightly, blitz with a hand held blender until smooth. Put back on the stove and gently reheat. Check seasoning then serve with soft herbs cracked pepper & cream or cream fraiche if desired.