Market Day Recipe; Tomato Soup

The last of the Summer flavours!
This soup is made with no added liquid and tastes absolutely delicious.
I make it in my 'crock pot' slow cooker that has a tightly fitting lid. I can pop the ingredients in and leave it to simmer gently away while I go off and do other things.

The ingredients are simple but the better quality they are the better your soup will taste. This is the perfect time of year to make it.
You need a kilo of tomatoes, this is a great way to use the last of the homegrown crop.
Two nice ripe red peppers, they add a lovely sweetness.
Two onions or shallots, two cloves of garlic and a handful of basil.
Simply cut them up and pop into the pot with a glug of good olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Simmer in the slow cooker for 3 to 4 hours, you can't really overcook this.
You could cook it in a very low oven as long as the casserole has a tightly fitting lid.

As if by magic the pot will fill with aromatic juices.
All you need to do is blend them, pass through a sieve (you don't have to if you prefer a more rustic texture) and serve piping hot with torn basil leaves scattered on top.

Replacing the basil with celery and chopped parsley makes a tasty variation.