TOMATO, CARROT AND DILL SOUP – CREAMY, GARLICKY & DELICIOUS!

Today I’m re-sharing an old recipe from May 2012 for my Tomato Carrot and Dill Soup with updated photographs and tweaked recipe!

It was an exciting time for a 20 yr old as one minute I’d be making hundreds of mini quiches and the next I was taking coats & serving canapes in a millionaires home as a waitress! We had a fair few celebrity clients too who would pop in for a sandwich.  The only one I can remember now is Kevin Godley of Godley & Creme (go ask your mum if you’re too young LOL)!

One of our best selling soups was this Tomato, Carrot and Dill  Soup which was and still is a personal favourite. I used to make it all the time from my head and eventually wrote it down so it may or may not be totally true to the original! What I love about this soup is the creamy, garlicky flavour notes that so compliment the tomato, carrot & dill. It’s quite unique and totally delicious, just ask my hubby who had 2 bowlfuls before I could even snap a picture!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25 g / 1oz butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 Cloves garlic (large), crushed crushed
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 500 g / 1lb 2oz carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 400 g tins good quality Italian chopped tomatoes
• 800 ml / 1 ½ pts vegetable stock (made with 2 stock cubes)
• 150 ml / 6floz single cream small pot
• 15 g / ½ oz dill, finely chopped chopped
• freshly ground salt and pepper

Garnish (optional)

• Extra single cream to drizzle
• Extra Dill fronds

Instructions

1. Sweat the onions, celery and crushed garlic in the oil and butter in a large pan over a low heat (with the lid on) for 10 minutes until softened but not browned.
2. Add the carrots and gently fry for another 2 minutes stirring constantly.
3. Add the tins of tomatoes.
4. Make up the stock with boiling water and add to the pan.
5. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Add the chopped dill and season.
7. Allow to cool and liquidise (unless like me you have a stainless steel hand blender which negates the need to cool).
8. Pour the soup back into the pan and stir in the cream.
9. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
10. Bring back to serving temperature.
11. Garnish with a swirl of cream and a sprig of fresh dill and serve with crusty bread.