There is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of soup with some carbs on the side. 

Words: Extracted from Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia

Whenever my partner is sick, he always asks if I can make my tomato soup. It leaves him feeling nourished and warm and fuzzy inside. I know this recipe calls for a lot of olive oil but it is justified! The olive oil melts into the tomatoes, which are infused with a mild rosemary and garlic flavour. They will be the juiciest and sweetest tomatoes you have ever tasted. While they are perfectly delicious eaten on their own, there is something extra special about them when blitzed together with my homemade chicken stock and roasted capsicums.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic bulbs
800 g cherry tomatoes
4 French shallots, peeled and halved
2 rosemary sprigs
500 ml (2 cups) extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1 litre (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
2 Roasted Capsicums
50–100 ml cream, to serve (optional)
basil leaves, to serve (optional)

Cheese toasties:
125 g (½ cup) mayonnaise, plus extra for spreading
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
8 slices of No-knead Bread
4 slices of gouda
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 slices of cheddar
50 g butter

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 130°C conventional (110°C fan-forced).

Using a sharp knife, slice the top off the garlic bulbs, about 2–3 cm down from the top, to expose the raw cloves.

I­n a large deep baking dish, combine the tomatoes, shallot, garlic and rosemary sprigs. Cover with the olive oil, then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Bake for 2 hours.

Remove the garlic and rosemary sprigs from the dish and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and remove the rosemary leaves from their stems.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the tomatoes and shallot into a large saucepan, leaving most of the olive oil behind. Reserve the oil in a sterilised jar and store in the pantry or fridge for several weeks (Tip: The reserved olive oil has the most beautiful flavour and works well drizzled over cold dishes, such as salads).

Add the garlic, rosemary leaves, stock, roasted capsicums and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low so the soup is at a low simmer. Leave to cook for 20 minutes with the lid off. Using a stick blender, process the soup until you have a smooth and silky consistency.

While the soup is cooking, make the cheese toasties. ­In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, onion and garlic powder and parmesan.

Spread one slice of bread with a generous amount of the extra mayo. Add a slice of gouda, followed by a slice of Swiss cheese and then a generous amount of the mayonnaise and parmesan mixture. Finish with a slice of cheddar and a second slice of bread. Repeat for the remaining toasties.

Melt the butter in a cast-iron frying pan over low heat. Add the toasties and cook for 10 minutes on each side, pressing down lightly until golden and crispy and the cheese has melted in the middle.

Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with cream (if using) and serve each portion with a cheese toastie. Scatter a few basil leaves over the soup, if desired.

No-knead bread

While this may look like a loaf of sourdough, it’s actually the ultimate lazy loaf of bread. It requires no kneading, no starter and basically no skill to make. If you’re anything like me, you will have the biggest smile on your face when you pull this loaf out of the oven, because it looks and tastes like an artisan loaf that will set you back $10 at the latest trending bakery. All this recipe asks of you is to have a little time for it to prove and, ideally, an enamelled cast-iron casserole dish.

Makes: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS

300 g lukewarm water (21°C)
7 g dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
395 g bread flour, plus extra for dusting
8 g sea salt flakes

METHOD

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast and honey. Mix well and leave to sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. When bubbles form on the top of the water, the yeast is ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until blended. The dough will be slightly sticky and shaggy. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 8–12 hours in a warm spot or 24 hours in the fridge. The dough will double in size and bubbles will form on top.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold the dough over itself at least six times. Flip the dough over so it is seam-side down and shape into a ball with your hands. Cover with the bowl or a damp tea towel and leave to rest on a piece of baking paper for 1–2 hours.

In the final 45 minutes of resting, preheat the oven to 220°C conventional (200°C fan-forced). While the oven is warming, place an enamelled cast iron casserole dish into it. After 45 minutes, take the hot dish out of the oven.

Using a sharp knife or bread scorer, score either the left or right top side of the bread, just off-centre, roughly 2–3 cm deep. Use the baking paper to carefully lift the dough into the hot dish. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy.

Leave to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing.

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Recipe and images extracted from: Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Else by Daen Lia, Macmillan, RRP $49.99