Homemade Creamy Tomato soup

I found this recipe in my "favorite Italian Dishes" cookbook. It was easy and quick, and in my opinion tasted basically the same as Knorr dried tomato soup. Wasn't as creamy as they said it would, but still a pretty good recipe.

4 Servings

• 3 tbsp butter (1-2 would be enough in my opinion)
• 1lbs 9oz/700g ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (and peeled if you don't have a strainer)
• 3 3/4 cups hot vegetable stock
• generous 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 2/3 cup milk or light cream
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp shredded basil leaves
• salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter in large pan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper

2. Add the stock and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 min.

3. Meanwhile, under a preheated broiler, lightly toast the ground almonds until they're golden-brown (1-2 min)

4. Remove the soup from the heat, place in a food processor and blend the mixture.

5. Pass the soup through a strainer to remove any tomato skin or seeds (I skipped that step, but I had peeled my tomatoes first, and removed most of the seeds)

6. Place the soup in pan and return to the heat. Stir in the milk (I put heavy cream instead, and still it wasn't that creamy...), toasted almonds, and sugar. Warm the soup through and add the shredded basil leaves just before seving.