Cleopatra's tomato soup
by Sarah Raven
This is a South African recipe which makes a delicious rich tomato soup. It comes from the Cleopatra’s Mountain Farmhouse in the Drakensberg mountains, the hotel of Richard Poynton, a passionate cook. The ingredients list looks long, but it’s very easy to make and it’s as good hot as it is cold.
SERVES 8
- 1½ kg ripe tomatoes
- 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
- Generous drizzle of olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 bunches coriander: 1 with leaves and stems chopped, 1 for serving
- 300ml tomato juice
- ½ small red chilli or 1 dried chilli
- 2 x 410g tins coconut milk
- ½ small red chilli or 1 dried chilli
- 1 rounded tablespoon soft brown sugar
- 35ml fish sauce
- Salt and black pepper
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4 and roast the tomatoes – you don’t need to skin them – and onions with olive oil, salt and black pepper for about 30-40 minutes until slightly browned on the edges.
Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander leaves and stems for 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomato juice and coconut milk and cook for a few minutes. Cover, remove from the heat and allow the flavours to infuse. Then add the tomatoes, onions, sugar, fish sauce and seasoning and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Blend in a food processor and serve with plenty of fresh coriander.
