This is the cheats' way of making really spectacular tomato soup from a litre carton of tomato juice. The recipe serves three or four.

Ingredients

• 10ml olive oil or 12g butter
• 1 cooking onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 16 or so ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 litre tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)
• 1 level teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of double or single cream
• juice of half a lemon (optional)

Method

On a low heat, cook the onion in the oil or butter in a saucepan for about 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the garlic, tomatoes and red pepper and continue to cook on a low heat for a further 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes to drive off the acid from the vinegar.

Add the tomato juice, parsley, if used, sugar and salt to the pan. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 25 minutes until the red pepper pieces are soft. Allow to cool.

Whizz the mixture in a blender. Return to a clean pan, stir in the cream and reheat without boiling.

Season to taste. Finish with lemon juice and/or coarsely ground black pepper.