1 kg ripe plum tomatoes
Salt
1 tsp sugar
400 g can red peppers (pimientos)
1 onion, chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp paprika
Coarsely ground black pepper
Croutons, shredded basil leaves and crackers to serve

Roughly chop the tomatoes and put them into a pan with half a teaspoon of salt and the sugar. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the tomatoes have completely collapsed. Rub them through a sieve into a large bowl or jug and discard the debris in the sieve.

Drain and roughly chop the peppers and put them into a processor or blender, together with the onion, chilli, garlic and paprika and blitz to a purée. Stir the pepper mixture into the tomatoes and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, check the seasoning and add more if necessary, ladle the soup into chilled glasses, sprinkle with the croutons and basil and serve with crackers for dunking. (Serves 4)