This recipe is a story in a bowl for me, rich with the flavours of summer and brimming with nostalgia. While my mum's tomato soup involved frying tomatoes with onions and bread, my recipe takes a different path, exaggerating the natural sweetness of vine-ripened tomatoes by roasting them to intensify their flavour. The addition of figs - especially if you can find the Oñigal variety, a small, honey-sweet variety from Extremadura - transforms the soup into something really special. We once had a fig tree in my dad's vegetable garden and the fruit from that tree paired beautifully with my mum's tomato soup, proving that life, indeed, is about savouring the memories we make.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6, takes ½ hours, plus chilling
- 2kg (4/b 8oz) ripe vine tomatoes
- 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated
- A good pinch of chilli flakes
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 4 sprigs of oregano
- 1 litre (34fl oz/4 cups) fresh chicken stock
- 4 ripe figs
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan (170°C/340°F/gas 3).
Halve the tomatoes and put on baking trays cut-side up.
Scatter with the garlic cloves and chilli flakes. Drizzle with lots of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes-1 hour, swapping the trays halfway through, until lightly caramelised.
Heat a little more oil in a pan and gently fry the shallots for 10 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes. Squeeze the insides of the roasted garlic into the pan, discarding the skins.
Add the oregano and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool, then chill until you are ready to serve.
Quarter the figs and toss with some salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Spoon the soup into bowls, top with the figs and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some black pepper. Serve.
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