Roasted Tomato Soup with Rarebit Toasts

Serves 4

1kg Italian tomatoes, such as Roma, halved

2 small red onions, quartered

6 sprigs of fresh lemon thyme

1tsp sugar

1tsp sea salt

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2tsp olive oil

500ml vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Rarebit Toasts:

100g mature Cheddar

3tbsp wheat beer

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 slices of baguette or similar

Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas Mark 3.

Put the tomatoes, onion, lemon thyme, sugar, salt, garlic and oil in a large bowl. Use your hands to toss the ingredients to combine and evenly coat them in the oil. Tip the mixture out on to a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for one-and-a-half hours.

Discard the lemon thyme sprigs and put the tomatoes, onions and any tasty juices in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding a little stock if the mixture is too thick to process. Transfer to a large saucepan, add the stock and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste and keep warm.

Preheat the grill to high. Put the Cheddar, beer and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan set over a low heat.

Stir until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Toast the bread under the preheated grill on one side only. Spread two tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each untoasted side of bread and grill until bubbling and golden. Ladle the soup into four warmed serving bowls, place a Rarebit Toast on top of each one and serve immediately.