Fresh tomato soup with tapenade

Description

A fresh tasting soup suitable for any occasion.

Ingredients

For the tapenade:
85g/3oz good quality black olives, pitted
4 anchovy fillets
30g/1oz capers, drained and rinsed
3 cloves of garlic
85ml/3fl oz olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
900g/2lb vine-grown tomatoes with their stalks (but not the stems)
55ml/2fl oz extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
6 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
¼ tsp chilli flakes
salt
basil, freshly shredded, to garnish

Method

1. Make the tapenade: put the olives, anchovies, capers and garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times.
2. Turn the machine on slow and add the oil in a thin, steady stream through the hole in the lid. Stir in black pepper to taste.
3. Make the soup: coarsely chop the tomatoes and, for extra flavour, their little star-like stalks.
4. Put the olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes into a large saucepan and set over a low heat for a few seconds until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the tomatoes and turn over for just 2 minutes until the juices from the tomatoes begin to run.
5. Tip the mixture into a food processor and add 2 tbsp of the tapenade. Blitz until finely chopped but not completely smooth. Pass through a conical sieve into a clean pan, pressing out as much liquid as you can with the back of a small ladle.
6. Heat gently until warm but not hot - you want to retain the fresh flavour of the tomatoes. Season the soup to taste with some salt. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve garnished with a little more oil and the shredded basil.