Tomato and Strawberry Summer Soup
Summer always brings a bounty of delicious fruits and vegetables, and for me, tomatoes and strawberries are the epitome of summer. Red, vibrant and sun warmed; they always put a smile on my face and this soup is summer in a bowl! I wasn’t sure this would actually work as a warm soup, but it really does. It’s sweet and rich with just the right amount of tartness from the balsamic. The addition of fresh basil and a sprinkling of bush pepper add a nice contrast to the sweetness of the soup.
Making this recipe was somewhat of a transporting experience. The delicious fruity scent wafting from the oven as the tomatoes were roasting reminded me of how much I actually love summer. I always think of myself as an autumn person (autumn being my favourite season), and to a large extent I am, but there’s something about an abundance of sunshine that just makes people happy, myself included. I was reminded of the eternal summers of childhood, when it feels like the days go on forever and you believe, in that moment, that summer will never end. For me, summer is filled with hope and new beginnings, probably because it coincides with the start of the new year, but it’s also more than that. The sunshine draws people outside and it’s the one time of the year when you can go to the beach, swim, eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner and no one bats an eyelid, as well as BBQ at nine in the evening and still have light. You actually see children outside riding their bikes and exploring the local neighbourhood. People are more active and thus, I believe, more excited. I find people throw caution to the wind and enjoy life just that little bit more. I know I do!
When the days are long, we are less inclined to live by the clock. We eat when we’re hungry, and more often than not, it’s sitting outside under the shade of a big tree. Our sleep patterns tend to be more natural with waking and sleeping by the sun. At least, for Ävälon they are. Sandy and I might be a few hours behind. But over all, we are more relaxed and just tend to go with whatever the sun and the day might bring. Like the making of this soup for instance. I had plenty of tomatoes and strawberries at hand, and it wasn’t at all what I had planned to make for dinner, but it seemed like a good idea, so I went with it.
And I’m so happy I did. I loved it! It’s one of those things that makes me happy making it and even happier eating it. The colour is amazing that the flavour even better. It’s a little bowl of happiness that made all of us smile when we were eating it. Ävälon devoured her share, and even Sandy, who doesn’t usually eat anything with cooked fruit in it enjoyed it. He didn’t go back for seconds like I did, but the fact he ate even a bowl confirmed it’s yum factor.
If you make this soup, I hope it makes your tastebuds dance and floods your mind with thoughts of summers past and yet to come.
Love and light!
Susanna xo