

Ingredients
- 4 medium onions. finely sliced
- 6 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 teaspoons tomato purée
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded, or to taste
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 Sticks celery. Sliced
- 4 Sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon. juice
- 1.8kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 medium head of fennel. Sliced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 50g fresh basıi leaves
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 Small sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley or thyme
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 dessert spoon olive paste
- 4 Medium slices of ciabatta bread
- a little yood olive oil
Process:
- Cut the tomatoes in half and place the cut side up on a baking tray. Place the tray in a preheated oven and grill the tomatoes until they are soft and the skin gets burnt a little.
- Then remove the tray from the grill.
- Heat a saucepan and pour some olive oil on it. When the oil is heated add the garlic and herbs. Stir a little and add all the other vegetables. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir occasionally.
- Transfer them to a roasting tin and roast in the preheated oven(190/C/375 F/gas mark 5) for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Take out the vegetables from the oven and blend them until into a smooth tomato purée.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice and pass them through a sieve and season the puree. Add some water if necessary.
- pound the basil leaves smooth with the salt.
- Add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir them together.
- Dice the ciabatta into small cubes. then stir them with some olive oil and olive paste in a Bowl and place in a baking tray(single layer).
- Bake the tray in an oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Warm the soup and pour into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of basil purée and a few ciabatta croutons on top of the soup and garnish with the oil and sprigs of herbs.