Chef/owner Chris Stoneham,
Enorae Bistro
The first note is aromatic – a sweet, fruity scent with subtle spice. The garnish crunch works well with the velvety mouthfeel of the soup, providing not only welcome texture but cool freshness of cucumber. The dish builds tempo with tangy bursts of citrus and vinegar and finishes with a sharp bite of onion and cilantro. This refreshing- and easy- soup is a great way to use local tomatoes at their peak of ripeness. The fresh, bold flavours enhance as it chills, up to 24 hours in advance.
Ingredients
Soup
6 large ripe tomatoes
1 large English cucumber
1 medium red onion
1 medium green bell pepper
10 cloves garlic, whole
2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp icing sugar
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
cayenne pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Garnish
2 shallots, finely diced
1/2 medium green pepper, finely diced
1/4 English cucumber, finely diced
4 halves sundried tomatoes in oil
icing sugar for dusting
lemon zest
cilantro
Method
Soup
1. Halve tomatoes. Squeeze out juice and seeds.
2. In a baking dish or sheet lined with parchment, place tomatoes cut side down. Randomly sprinkle garlic cloves around dish.
3. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake 35 min in 350˚F oven. Cool.
5. Peel onion and cucumber. Remove seeds and membrane from green pepper. Roughly chop vegetables.
6. Combine all ingredients, including tomatoes, garlic and vegetables in blender, until blended.
7. Taste. Adjust seasoning and tartness by adding salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar. Chill thoroughly, at least one hour, up to 24 hours.
8. Strain soup through a fine sieve.
9. Ladle soup into chilled soup bowls.
Garnish
1. In a small bowl, combine the first four garnish ingredients.
2. Top bowls with 2 Tbsp garnish, a sprig of cilantro, lemon zest, a sprinkle of icing sugar and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Yield 6 servings