Heat the olive oil in a thick pan
and put in the sliced onions and let
them cook slowly until they are
melted and golden. Now add the
tomatoes, chopped roughly, salt,
pepper, herbs, and a clove or two
of garlic, and let the whole mixture
simmer until the tomatoes are soft.
Now add 1½ pints of water or
stock from the shell fish. Cook
slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Put the
soup through a sieve.
Return it to the pan, bring it to
the boil and throw in the vermicelli
in very small pieces and whatever
shell fish you are using. In 5
minutes it will be ready. Add