Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove them after 30 seconds when the skins peel off easily. Cut them in half and squeeze out the pips which are discarded. Take care not to discard too much of the liquid.

Chop the pipless tomato pulp coarsely. Skin and chop the spring onions, using only the firm white part.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and soften the spring onions with the clove of garlic until they are tender and transparent. Add the tomato pulp and stir.

Let it reduce a little and lose some of its moisture. Then add the stock and the bayleaf. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have all but dissolved.

Take out the bayleaf and blend the soup in the liquidiser for a few seconds or pur�e it in a mouli-l�gumes.

Season with salt, pepper and sugar and add a sprinkling of chopped mint and a swirl of cream. Serve hot or cold.