SERVES 4
1kg vine-ripened
tomatoes, about 12
1 marrow, about 1kg
olive oil, to drizzle
few thyme sprigs, leaves
stripped
3 large garlic cloves,
peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper
small bunch of basil,
leaves only, roughly
chopped
300ml hot chicken or
vegetable stock
(see page 243)
1-2 tsp good-quality
balsamic vinegar
66 SOUPS AND BROTHS
Roasted tomato and
marrow soup
Marrow is popular with gardeners but much less so with
cooks, probably because its watery texture is something
of a challenge. Roasting the vegetable concentrates the
flavour and makes it a natural partner for roasted tomatoes
in this summery soup. Serve it simply with a drizzle of good
olive oil, or crumble some goat's cheese on t op and scatter
over a handful of crunchy garlicky croutons.Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Halve the tomatoes and arrange,
cut side up, on a baking tray. Peel, halve and deseed the marrow, then
cut into 1.5cm cubes and spread out on another baking tray. Drizzle
both generously with olive oil, then scatter ove' +he thyme leaves,
garlic, sugar and some salt and pepper. Toss t he "rrow cubes to
ensure that they are well coated. Roast the tomatoes and marrows
for 30-40 minutes, until they are soft and slightly caramelized, giving
the marrows a stir halfway through.As soon as they are cooked, puree the vegetables in a blender with
the basil leaves and hot stock; do this in two batches if necessary and
make sure you tip in all the flavourful juices. For a very smooth texture
if preferred, pass the pureed soup through a fine sieve.Transfer the soup to a pan and reheat gently. Taste and adjust the
seasoning with a little balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve in
warm bowls drizzled with a little olive oil.