Tomato soup can be quite boring sometimes, but adding some delicious Thai flavours makes it into the perfect easy comfort food for the colder months
Tomato soup can be quite boring, so give it a Thai twist(Image: haoliang via Getty Images)
While summer hasn’t officially drawn to a close just yet, the weather has certainly changed. You’ve probably noticed the evenings are getting darker sooner, which means one thing – it’s time for comfort food.
Soup makes the ideal choice, particularly when paired with a slice of buttered bread. Tomato soup is one of the most beloved flavours for good reason, but if you fancy giving yours an upgrade, there’s a recipe by Mary Berry that’s well worth trying.
She’s given the traditional version an intriguing twist by adding Thai influences, making it far more warming, satisfying and flavoursome.
This recipe originally appeared in the cookbook Mary Berry Cooks, released in 2014. The Happy Foodie blog has hailed it as ‘ideal for cold, darker nights’ and it’s so simple to prepare too.
Mary Berry explains: “This is an unusual spicy and fragrant soup, which is lovely to serve on a cold winter’s day.”
It can be ready in under half an hour, making it perfect for a quick midweek lunch or supper. It will keep in the fridge for up to two days, or can be frozen for up to one month.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe.
Mary Berry’s Thai tomato soup
Ingredients
- Tbsp olive oil
- One onion
- Two carrots, chopped
- One red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- One tbsp grated fresh ginger root
- One tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 400g can coconut milk
- One lemongrass stick, bashed with a rolling pin
- One tbsp tomato purée
- One tbsp light muscovado sugar
- Two tbsp Thai basil leaves, chopped, plus extra leaves to decorate
Method
Warm the oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and red pepper and cook for three minutes.
Add the ginger and Thai curry paste and cook for 30 seconds. Add all the other ingredients apart from the Thai basil.
Bring to the boil, put a lid on and let it simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
Take out the lemongrass stalk, stir in the Thai basil then transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.
Pour the soup back into the pan, add roughly 200ml of water to loosen the consistency, and warm through before serving. Garnish each serving with fresh Thai basil leaves.
