My Mother’s Winter Warmer

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F)

1. Pour the olive oil into a roasting tin and heat in the oven until almost smoking.
2. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and thyme to the tray and coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are caramelised, turning occasionally. Add the basil to the tray 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
3. Remove any woody thyme stalks from the tray and add the contents of the tray to a large saucepan. In a second saucepan bring the chicken, or vegetable, stock to a boil and then pour over the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Strain the liquid from the pan, keeping both the liquid and the tomato mixture. Add the tomatoes to a blender and combine, slowly adding the stock, until the soup has reached the desired consistency.
5. Gordon suggests at this stage to pass the soup through a sieve again for a smoother consistency, however my mother and I have always found the blended soup to be the perfect balance.
6. Serve the soup with a crusty loaf of bread and enjoy!