Roasted Tomato and White Bean Soup

1. 1Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F. Toss the tomatoes, onion wedges and whole garlic head with 3 tbsp of the olive oil, the sugar, a big pinch of salt and plenty of pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer — crowded vegetables steam rather than roast.
2. 2Tuck the rosemary in and roast for 35–40 minutes, until the tomato edges are blistered and slightly blackened. Those dark patches are where the flavour is, so don't pull the tray early.
3. 3Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and discard the papery husk and the rosemary stalks.
4. 4Warm the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the tomato purée and smoked paprika, and fry for 1 minute until it darkens a shade and smells toasty.
5. 5Tip in everything from the roasting tray, scraping up the sticky bits, then add three-quarters of the beans and the stock. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
6. 6Blend until smooth — a stick blender straight in the pot is easiest. Stir the reserved whole beans back in so there's some texture left.
7. 7Taste and adjust: more salt if it's flat, a pinch more sugar if the tomatoes were sharp, a splash of water if it's thicker than you want. Serve with a hard swirl of olive oil and bread for scraping the bowl.

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