I also wanted to experiment cooking for one person. I don’t like leftovers, unless I have lunch boxes to make. This is a great opportunity to cook tasty and appealing food for one person.
My first lunch alone consisted of this creamy and truly flavoursome tomato and orange soup. By the time I finished taking my photos it was cold BUT it was absolutely delicious. It reminded me of a gazpacho; see how life plays tricks on you! Actually, if eaten cold, it would be a perfect starter to a summer lunch, served the way you would serve gazpacho with lots of diced fresh vegetables. Unlike gazpacho, this soup is pretty clean, it doesn’t have a lot of oil and is completely gluten-free. The creamy texture comes from the oven-roasted tomatoes and the carrots and the orange juice gives it a nice fresh zesty taste. Truly wonderful if I say so myself!
Tomato and Orange Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Kg of fresh, juicy tomatoes, halved
- 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or garlic powder (I ran out fresh garlic)
- 4 Tbsp of olive oil
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 2 carrots, grated and chopped
- 2 celery stems, chopped
- 1/4 tsp of cumin
- 1l of vegetable stock
- 120 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
- Optional: orange zest and seed mix to sprinkle on the soup
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
- Put tomatoes halves on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Bake in oven for 40 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the remaining olive oil to a saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté the carrots, leeks, celery and cumin. After a couple of minutes add the vegetable stock. and cover the saucepan with a lid.
- Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Add the cooked tomatoes and the orange juice to the saucepan and bring to a boil for a minute.
- Remove from heat and let the soup cool a bit before putting in a blender.
- Can be served with orange zest or a mix of seeds.
Bon appétit!
