Over the winter months, this easy tomato soup is hearty and comforting. It’s laden with garlic, thyme, orzo pasta and roasted Tesco Finest baby tomatoes on the vine, which bring an intensely sweet flavour and distinctive aroma to the dish. Serve with a moreish cheese toastie made with a combination of some of the best award-winning cheeses in the Tesco Finest range.
Prep 30 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4
1 whole bulb of garlic
800g Tesco Finest baby tomatoes on the vine
4 tbsp Tesco Finest Sicilian extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
450ml vegetable stock
100g Tesco Finest orzo pasta
To serve
Fresh thyme
For the toasties
Tesco Finest white sourdough, eight slices
250g grated cheese, a mix of Tesco Finest reserve Swiss gruyère, vintage cheddar and comté works well
50g Tesco Finest West Country butter and sea salt, softened
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wrap the garlic in foil and roast for 25 minutes until softened. At the same time, toss the tomatoes in a roasting tin with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and some flaky sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and popped.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a casserole pot. Add the onion, celery and a good pinch of sea salt and fry for 10-12 minutes over a medium heat until softened and translucent. Add the thyme and fry for 1 minute. Tip in the roasted tomatoes and vegetable stock and squeeze the garlic out of their skins and into the pan. Stir, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
Once cooked, blend the soup with a stick blender, leaving some nice chunky bits if you like, or blend until smooth if you prefer. Add the orzo and cook for a further 10 minutes.
To make the toasties, butter each slice of bread on one side. Pile the cheese on to the unbuttered sides of four pieces. Place the remaining slices on top, with the buttered sides facing up. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the toasties, weighing them down with another pan and fry on each side for 4-5 minutes or until golden and melted.
Serve the soup with a good scattering of thyme. Halve each toastie – and dunk as you eat.
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