Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 pound, 9 ounces ripe tomatoes, preferably plum, roughly chopped
- 3 ¾ cups hot vegetable stock
- ⅔ cup milk or light cream
- ¼ cup ground almonds
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp shredded basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until the skins start to wrinkle. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the stock to the pan, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, under a preheated broiler, lightly toast the ground almonds until they are golden brown. This will only take 1-2 minutes, so watch them closely.
- Remove the soup from the heat and place in a food processor. Blend the mixture to form a smooth consistency. Alternatively, mash the soup with a potato masher. Press the soup through a strainer to remove any tomato skin or seeds.
- Place the soup in the pan and return to the heat. Stir in the milk or cream, ground almonds and sugar. Warm the soup through, and add the shredded basil just before serving.
- Transfer the soup to warm bowls and serve hot.