Ingredients

• 6 tomatoes on the vine
• halved widthways
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• roughly chopped
• 2 long red chillies
• finely sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2kg/4lb 4oz ripe
• mixed tomatoes
• roughly chopped
• handful fresh coriander leaves
• roughly chopped
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken or vegetable stock
• 2-3 tbsp caster sugar
• 75ml/3fl oz double cream
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche

Directions

• For the roasted tomatoes
• preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 1.
• Place the tomatoes
• cut-side up
• onto a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then scatter the thyme on top.
• Roast in the oven for 4-6 hours
• or until slightly dried out.
• Turn the oven off and allow to cool
• preferably overnight
• in the oven.
• For the soup
• heat the olive oil in a frying pan until hot and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes
• or until just softened.
• Add the garlic
• chillies
• tomato paste and tomatoes and fry for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add three-quarters of the coriander and the stock
• bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Blend in a blender to a purée.
• Return the soup to the pan and season
• to taste
• with salt
• freshly ground black pepper and sugar. Stir in the cream and simmer for one minute.
• To serve
• ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with some roasted tomatoes and a spoonful of crème fraîche; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the coriander.