Tomato soup

Tomato soup

Ingredients:
750 grams red ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 litre vegetable stock
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. (Use light olive oil if the extra virgin oil is too strong for you).
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Wash the tomatoes. Boil some water, enough to submerge the tomatoes. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for 1 minute, then immediately immerse in cold water. Peel the skin, cut the tomatoes in halves and remove the seeds. Finely chop the tomatoes. (Optional: You can use canned crushed tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes and tomato paste).
Heat 1 tablespoon of light olive oil in a large saucepan under medium heat. Add the crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until reduced and thickened.
Add the vegetable stock and mix well. Increase heat and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the chopped fresh basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust cooking times to suit your preferences.
Serve hot.
You can also put a slice of French baguette bread in the soup when serving.