Stock

• Tomato skins + cores (from the soup tomatoes below)
• 500g Miced beef (seasoned)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks (trimmings + a little extra)
• 1 leek, white part (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves, sprig of thyme, ~10 peppercorns
• 1 bushel leaf celery
• ~1.5–2 L water (incl. the blanching water)
• (optional) a marrow bone

Soup

• ~1.5 kg fresh tomatoes (beef or vine)
• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• 2–3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• the strained stock (~1.2–1.5 L)
• 1 red bell pepper, in chunks
• 1–2 celery stalks, small chunks
• sambal or 1 red chili (for heat, optional)
• pinch of sugar
• splash of cream (optional, off the heat)
• salt & pepper
• 200g champignons

Meatballs

• 500 g ground beef
• salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg, a little paprika

Garnish

• Leftover tomahawk, sliced wafer-thin against the grain, at room temperature
• flaky salt, olive oil, basil leaves

Preparation:

1. Prep Meatballs:

   • Season the ground beef, preferably let rest for at l,east a few hours in fridge.
   • Roll small balls ,
   • set aside.

2. Desjub tomatoes. Score the tomatoes with a cross, 30–60 sec in boiling water, then cold bath. Peel. Keep the skins AND the blanching water — both go into the stock.

Cook:

1. Make the stock:

   • In a fying pan:
   • Per portion: sweat onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic
   • Add this mixture to a souppan together withthe tomato skins
   • Add blanching water + evt. extra water to make sure everything is covered.
   • The herbs.
   • Simmer gently for about 60 min.
   • Strain (preferably using cheesecloth, otherwise with (clean!) tea-towel

2. Roux + pinçage.

   • Melt the butter
   • Sweat onion + garlic until soft,
   • Stir in the flour (~2 min).
   • Add the tomato paste and cook it out until it caramelizes from bright to brick red — this removes the raw-paste tang and builds depth/umami. This is the key flavor step.

3. Soup. Add the tomato flesh + stock gradually. Simmer ~20 min.

4. Purée. Blend the base smooth.

5. Fill.

   • Add the vegetables you want to keep intacts:
   • Bell pepper, julliened
   • (Chestnut) Champigons
   • Celery chopped
   • Sambal/chili for heat.
   • Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of (brown) sugar.

6. Finish. Return the meatballs to warm through.

Here if you like it you can optionally cream off the heat (don't let it boil or it splits). I usually do not.

1. Serve.
   • Ladle the soup,
   • Finish with a teared leave of fresh basil
   • Tastes goed with a piece of bread and homemade kruidenboter ;)