Ingredients:
1) Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp.
2) Onions - 3 medium-sized pieces, chopped.
3) Celery sticks - 3, chopped.
4) Fresh basil - 2 tbsp, chopped.
5) Drained and canned tomatoes - 3 cups (800 ml).
6) Tomato puree - 2 tbsp.
7) Vegetable stock - 2 cups (500 ml).
8) Heavy cream - 2/3 cup.
9) Ready-rolled puff pastry - 1 pack (490 g), chilled.
10) Egg - 1, beaten.
Also needed:
A large saucepan.
A food processor.
Deep ovenproof soup bowls - 6.
Instructions:
1) Place the saucepan over the oven. Pour in oil and heat.
2) Toss in the onions and celery. Cook over a low heat until the onions are soft.
3) Add in the tomatoes. Pour the tomato puree. Put a cover over the pan and simmer for about 10 mins.
4) Remove the cover. Add the stock and boil.
5) Lower the oven temperature. Simmer for about 20 mins.
6) Move the mixture from the pan to the food processor. Form a puree.
7) Add in the cream and stir. Season to taste.
8) Transfer to the refrigerator. Chill until the pastry top is ready.
9) Pour the soup equally into each of the six ovenproof soup bowls.
10) Spread out the pastry to a shape of 1/8" thickness.
11) Cut out from the shape six circles, each about an inch larger than the top diameter of the bowls.
12) Place each of the circular pastry shapes over each bowl. Seal the pastries to the outside of the bowls. Refrigerate for about half an hour.
13) Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit (180 degree Centigrade).
14) Moist the pastry with beaten egg.
15) Lay the soup bowls in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 15-20 mins or until the pastry is puffed and golden.