Tomato soup with fennel, garlic and basil drizzle

Tomato and basil are a classic flavour combination. The green basil oil provides a vibrant colour contrast to the orange-red of the soup base and elevates this humble tomato soup to something a little more refined.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 bulb of garlic

Olive oil, for roasting

350g (about 1 large) fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

1 leek (white part only), roughly chopped

100g (about 2 sticks) celery, chopped

150g (about 1 medium) carrot, chopped

500g (about 4 medium) tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 x 400g can plum tomatoes

500ml vegetable stock

15g fresh basil

For the basil oil:

150ml olive oil, plus extra if needed

60g fresh basil

Sea salt, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) Gas 6.

2. To roast the garlic, cut the top part off the top of the garlic head to expose the individual garlic cloves. Place the garlic head, cut-side down, onto a square piece of foil and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Lift the foil up around the garlic and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, open the foil wrap and set aside to cool. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of the skin, coarsely chop the garlic flesh and discard the skin.

3. Place the quartered fennel in a roasting pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook in the same oven as the garlic for 25 minutes, or until you can easily insert the tip of a sharp knife into the flesh. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool slightly then roughly chop.

4. To make the basil oil, whizz together a little of the olive oil with the fresh basil and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in more oil until you have a loose, flavoured oil. Set aside until ready to serve.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan or pot set over a medium heat. Add the chopped leek, celery and carrot and gently cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are soft. Add the roast garlic and fennel, fresh and canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the basil leaves and purée with a handheld electric mixer or in a food processor. Season to taste and serve with a good drizzle of basil oil, some freshly ground black pepper, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

From Café Kitchen by Lantana Cafe's Shelagh Ryan (Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99). For more from Shelagh see her blog at Scrambling Eggs or go to lantanacafe.co.uk

Photograph: Kate Whitaker