If, like me, you have plenty of ripe tomatoes and zucchinis growing, this soup works a treat.
Tomato, basil and zucchini soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5kg small green or yellow zucchini, diced
500g fresh ripe tomatoes
1 litre vegetable stock
¾ cup basil, coarsely ripped or chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh parmesan, grated to serve (optional)
Method
Lightly score the skin of the tomatoes with a sharp knife and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring a kettle to the boil and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes. Leave them submerged for 1 minute or until the skin starts to split. Remove from the water and peel off the skin, roughly chop.
Heat the butter and oil together in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes without colouring, add the garlic and zucchini and cook for further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock, stir to combine and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until the zucchini are tender. Add the basil and heat through. Mash coarsely if wanting a chunky soup or puree with hand-held blender.
Serve hot or cold, with a little more fresh basil and a grating of fresh parmesan.
• Alison Lambert, chef at the Otago Farmer's Market, will be demonstrating this recipe at the market on Saturday morning.
