Tomato, apple and celery soup by Chef Tristan Welch

Hints and tips

• This is a great recipe to use up cupboard items, so feel free to substitute ingredients.
• Turn stale bread into baked crostini or garlic bread for a perfect side dish!

Ingredients

• 500ml of tomato juice
• 500ml of vegetable stock
• 35ml of cider vinegar
• 50ml of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 bunch of fresh basil
• ½ head of celery
• Two apples
• 750g overripe tomatoes
• One shallot
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of tomato puree
• 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Make the stock by cooking the tomato juice in a large pot over medium heat until it’s reduced by half.
2. Add the vegetable stock and bring the mixture back to a boil. Stir in the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and basil leaves. Put to one side.
3. Preheat your oven to 210°C and prepare the roasted ingredients.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half, slice the celery and shallot, core and chop the apples and cut the garlic bulb in half.
5. Coat the vegetables in olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking tray and roast in the hot oven until they become dry and deeply caramelised.
6. Scrape the vegetables and juices into the soup base. Bring the soup back up to a simmer, season with salt to taste. Allow the soup to cook for a few more minutes.
7. To finish, use a blender to puree it until smooth and pass the soup through a fine sieve for a silky texture.
8. Serve with the young celery and basil leaves and a drizzle of good quality olive oil.