Week 4: Tomato soup

This week, we're making a lovely tomato soup!

Tomato soup is just one of those perfect dishes for everyday cooking. It's healthy, it's tasty and it's easy to make in large quantities. This particular soup is also a perfect exercise for toning the arms, because you have to keep stirring and stirring and stirring the roux, which essentially starts out as a ball of dough. Do not plan a dish made with a roux and a dish you have to knead dough for on the same day.

Below, I've given both the regular GW2 version of tomato soup, as well as instructions on how to change it into an easy vegan tomato soup. You can use cream, milk, sour cream, or whatever milk/cream product you fancy. I used milk, because the roux already makes the soup quite thick and creamy. 

 

Tomato soup

Ingredients (6 servings):

800 ml poultry stock (from a cube or homemade) or vegetable stock for vegan version
800 g tomatoes
1 tblsp sugar
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
100 ml cream, milk, or sour cream*
50 g butter*
60 g flour*

With a knife, make a shallow cross on the bottom of each tomato, just so it punctures the skin. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 20 seconds and then immediately remove them and place them in a bowl with cold water (add a few ice cubes to keep it really cold, if you like). When they've cooled down, after a minute or so, take them out of the water and peel off the skin. Cut the tomatoes in chunks, discarding the watery seeds and the core.
Chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a pot and gently sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat up. Bake for another 5 minutes, then add the poultry stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the soup to a bowl or food processor. Puree the mixture until it's smooth and drain through a sieve.

For the easy vegan soup: Heat the soup through, add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

For the full GW2 version: In a large pot with a thick bottom, melt the butter over medium heat, until the butter stops bubbling but do not let it turn brown (we're making a white roux). Sieve part of the flour into the pot and stir well. Keep stirring until all the flour has been absorbed, then add the next portion of flour. When all the flour has been added, keep stirring until the roux is one firm ball. Next, add a cup of tomato soup and stir well until the mixture is smooth and even. Continue with the next cup of soup until all the soup has been added.
Heat the soup through, add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir the cream in just before serving, or pour a little bit of cream in each individual bowl. Enjoy!

*: leave out these ingredients for the easy vegan soup

Tip: Other herbs and spices that work well in this soup are paprika powder (smoked or regular), fresh basil or a dash of chili pepper.