Roasted tomato & leek soup

Prep 20 mins + cooling time | Cook 45 mins | Serves 4-6

This delicious side dish is great for fussy veggie eaters!

1 kg ripe Roma (egg) tomatoes, halved lengthways 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
8 whole garlic cloves
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs tomato paste
3¹⁄₂ cups vegetable or chicken stock
Pinch sugar
¹⁄₃ cup basil leaves, torn
Small basil leaves and char-grilled bread, to serve

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Line a large baking pan with baking paper. Arrange tomatoes (cut-side up), leeks and garlic in pan. Liberally spray with oil and toss to evenly coat. Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing once, for 35-40 minutes until very tender and slightly caramelised. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Remove garlic from pan and squeeze to remove flesh. Set aside.

STEP 2 Heat 1 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato mixture to pan (including pan juices), stock, sugar, basil and garlic.

STEP 3 Using a hand-held blender, puree soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Ladle into serving bowls, sprinkle with small basil leaves and serve with char-grilled bread.

Good for you ... Roma Tomatoes

A very good source of vitamin C which contributes to the normal functioning of the body’s immune system.

Provides potassium which may help balance the sodium from salt.

A source of dietary fibre which helps the normal function of the intestine.

Tomatoes are the richest food source of lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family. Research suggests that lycopene may play a role in the normal health of the prostate gland. The redder the tomato, the higher its lycopene content. Rich red tomatoes are also a source of beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body and is needed for vision.