Chorizo, lentil and roasted tomato soup

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  250g baby Roma or cherry tomatoes
  1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  2 chorizo sausages, skin removed and broken into bite sized pieces
  1 Spanish onion, chopped
  1 large thyme sprig
  3 celery stalks, sliced
  2 garlic cloves, minced
  2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  1/2 cup semi sweet sherry
  2 x 400g tins of lentils, drained and rinsed
  6 cups chicken stock
  Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  Handful chopped parsley and crusty bread to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200˚C (392˚F).

Tumble the tomatoes onto a lined baking tray. Drizzle with half of the olive oil, sprinkle with thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes while the soup is cooking until blistered and golden.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Cook the chorizo for 5 minutes until turning golden. Add the onion, thyme and celery, cook for 5 minutes to soften before adding the garlic and paprika, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry, cook for a couple of minutes to evaporate. Stir the lentils through the vegetables and add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle the parsley into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with roasted tomatoes, drizzle with the thyme infused tomato oil and serve with crusty bread.