This recipe makes around 2 litres of soup. 

INGREDIENTS

• 50 ml olive oil
• 1 onion, large dice
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut in large dice
• 1 bulb fennel, cut into large dice
• 2 sticks celery, washed, cut into dice
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 large sprigs rosemary
• 1 bunch basil, remove leaves and reserve to finish the soup, chop the stalks
• 25g fennel seeds (optional)
• 100 ml white wine vinegar
• 100g granulated sugar
• 100 ml white wine
• 1 kg fresh plum tomatoes or equivalent weight in canned plum tomatoes
• 100g tomato puree
• 2 x vegetable stock cubes (optional)
• 500 ml water
• 100 ml double cream
• 100g butter
• 50 g flour
• Sea salt and fresh ground white pepper

METHOD

• Sweat all the vegetables, garlic, herbs and fennel seeds if using in the olive oil until they are tender, add the sugar and vinegar and reduce until the liquid becomes syrupy.
• Add the white wine and reduce by half, add the tomatoes, tomato puree, water and stock cubes if using; bring to the boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste, add to the boiling soup.
• Season with salt and pepper, blitz in a food processor and pass through a very fine sieve.
• Add the cream, check the seasoning and finish the soup with the reserved finely chopped basil leaves.