Tomato soup with pesto cream

This soup is so rich and tasty you'll never want to have canned tomato soup again.

• Cooking: 30 mins
• Serves: 2

What you need:

• Butter - 25g (1oz)
• Onion - 1, peeled and chopped
• Carrot - 1, peeled and chopped
• Chopped tomatoes - 400g can
• Tomato purée - 1 tbsp
• Vegetable stock - 300ml (1/2 pint)
• Caster sugar - 1 tsp
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bicarbonate of soda - a pinch
• Green pesto sauce
• Creme fraiche - 2 tbsp

What you do:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion and carrot. Cook over a medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes, until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, vegetable stock and caster sugar to the pan and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 10 - 15 minutes, until the vegetables are really tender.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and the puree the soup using a handheld electric wand or in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, if necessary, season the soup to taste and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which may fizz slightly, but stir until the fizzing stops.
4. Stir the pesto into the creme fraiche. Heat the soup and then pour it into warm bowls. Spoon the pesto creme fraiche on top, swirling it into the soup and serve immediately.

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