French cuisine · Soups & Stews

Provençal Tomato Soup

Tomato soup from Provence with plenty of garlic, basil and olive oil, only coarsely puréed.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1.2 kg ripe tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk celery
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 sprig thyme
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Score the tomatoes crosswise at the stem end, dip in boiling water for 30 sec, refresh in cold water, peel and roughly dice.
2. Finely dice the onion and celery, cut the garlic into thin slices and pick the basil leaves from the stems.
3. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot and sauté the onion, celery and garlic over low heat for 6-8 min, until everything is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and the basil stems and cook down uncovered for 10 min, until the tomatoes have broken down.
5. Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for another 15 min, then remove the thyme and basil stems and purée the soup only coarsely so it keeps its texture.
6. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with the basil leaves and the remaining olive oil.