A top-down view of a bowl filled with tomato soup garnished with green herbs, alongside a sliced cheese toastie.

Tomato & Basil Soup

A comforting, vegetarian soup that's perfect for warming up on chilly winter nights. The ideal companion for a cheese toastie!

Made with Hovis® White Half Cob

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1h 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 4 Slices Hovis® White Half Cob
  • 1 Handful of grated cheddar cheese
  • 3 Medium tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 4 Tablespoons of extra Virgin Olive oil
  • Salt & Ground black pepper
  • 2 Medium carrots (diced)
  • 4 Garlic cloves (diced)
  • 700ml Vegetable broth
  • 10g Fresh basil leaves

Tip

For the best flavour, use ripe, in-season tomatoes. Varieties like plum or cherry tomatoes work particularly well.

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C and add greaseproof paper to a large baking tray. Place the tomatoes with the cut side up on the tray. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Roast for approximately 1 hour, until the edges start to wrinkle, while allowing the insides to remain juicy.

Halved tomatoes, slightly roasted, in a metal tray.
2

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, carrots and salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, until soft. Add in the tomatoes and vegetable stock, and simmer for 20 minutes.

A large pot filled with simmering bright red tomato soup and a wooden spoon.
3

Once cooled, add the soup to a blender with the basil leaves and blend until smooth. Heat two slices of Hovis® White Half Cob in a frying pan with some butter. Once one side is toasted, flip the bread and add cheese. Wait until the cheese melts, and you are all done!

A top-down view of a bowl filled with tomato soup garnished with green herbs, alongside a sliced cheese toastie.