When it comes to planning meals during the colder months, we tend to crave warm, hearty soups, stews laden with meat and served on top of creamy potatoes or polenta, and comforting oven-roasted treats. We also love making a big pot of soup at the beginning of each week that we can enjoy for lunch when we want to warm up.

When we think of comforting soups, there are a few that spring to mind. Our Mum’s creamy Lentil and Vegetable soup, our Dad’s rich, savoury Minestrone, filled to the brim with veggies and beans, and finally, the classic, piping hot Tomato soup. When we were small and feeling a little under the weather, our parents would grab a tin of tomato soup from the cupboard and mix it with a little bit of milk. They would serve the soup with warm bread to dip, or if we were really lucky, melty cheese on toast. To this day, we still adore the feeling of a warm bowl or mug of hot, creamy tomato soup although now, as adults, we’ve put our own twist on it.

This soup is a true classic – it has wonderful, intense flavours and is perfect as a starter, a warming lunch or a light dinner. Rain or shine, whenever you need it, tomato soup has always got your back. At first you’re going to think ‘Why roast all those tomatoes, just for soup?’ but we promise that once you’ve tasted the difference you’ll know it’s worth it – especially in the early spring when it’s hard to get really ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes.

For us there’s three crucial factors to making the most delicious tomato soup:

Fresh Tomatoes – There’s just no comparison in using fresh tomatoes to canned tomatoes. The tomato is the hero ingredient so scope out the most gorgeous fresh ones you can. This recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, but any variety will work!

Roasted Tomatoes – By popping the tomatoes in the oven beforehand, you get this yummy sweetness from the caramelisation which adds heaps of flavour to the soup.

Basil – Tomato soup with basil is just like salt and pepper. It just wouldn’t be the same without it!