As temperatures begin to fall and soup season gets underway, Gousto chef Sophie Nahmad has shared an unexpected way to give homemade tomato soup a richer, more luxurious texture.

Her tip is to add a slice of stale bread to the roasting tray, allowing it to soak up the tomato juices, garlic-infused oil and seasoning before blending everything together.

Sophie explains: “When tomatoes roast, they release lots of intensely flavoured juice, which can easily get left behind on the tray. Adding bread allows it to absorb all that flavour rather than letting it go to waste.

“When blended, the starch in the bread also thickens the soup and gives it a smooth, velvety texture. It creates the richness you might expect from cream, but using an ingredient many people already have in the cupboard.”

Why Stale Bread Works Best

Fresh bread can become soft and claggy very quickly, so Sophie recommends using a thick slice of day-old white bread or sourdough:

“The drier bread acts like a sponge, absorbing the concentrated tomato juices while its exposed edges become lightly toasted in the oven. Both the soaked centre and crisp edges are then blended into the soup.”

Sophie says: “This is a great use for the final slice of a loaf that may otherwise be thrown away. Avoid heavily seeded bread if you want a completely smooth soup, as the seeds may remain noticeable after blending.”

Sophie’s Creamy Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup

Ingredients
800g ripe tomatoes, halved
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves, left in their skins
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 thick slice of stale white bread or sourdough
350ml hot vegetable stock, plus extra if needed
A small handful of fresh basil
Salt and black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan.
Place the tomatoes and onion in a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season and toss everything together.
Add the garlic cloves and roast for approximately 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and begun releasing their juices.

Tear the bread into large pieces and tuck them underneath and between the tomatoes. Press the bread lightly into the juices on the bottom of the tray.

Return the tray to the oven for another eight to ten minutes. The bread should absorb the liquid while developing lightly golden edges.

Squeeze the softened garlic from its skins, then transfer everything from the tray, including the bread and remaining juices, to a blender or saucepan.

Add the vegetable stock and basil, then blend until completely smooth. Add more stock if needed to reach the desired consistency.

Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with a drizzle of olive oil or a few basil leaves.

Sophie advises adding the bread towards the end of the roasting time rather than at the beginning:

“If the bread is exposed to the heat for too long, the edges may burn before the tomatoes have finished cooking. Adding it for the final ten minutes gives it enough time to soak up the juices and toast gently.”

She adds:“The result is somewhere between a classic roasted tomato soup and a creamy bisque. The tomatoes provide sweetness and acidity, while the bread gives the soup body and makes it feel much more indulgent.

“It’s an easy way to elevate tomato soup while also using up bread that might otherwise go to waste.”

For more warming inspiration as soup season begins, discover Gousto’s collection of autumnal soup recipes.
https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/soup-recipeshttps://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/soup-recipes