The perennial problem over the festive season is what to serve as a light, refreshing starter that won?t take up too much tummy space for the roast that usually follows at Christmas.

I usually server a light chilled seafood starter involving one or more portions of calamari, prawns, crayfish, mussels, smoked fish (angel fish, snoek or smoked salmon) but even that can be quite filling.

As an alternative ? particularly in the warm weather in which we South Africans celebrate end of year festivities ? a bowl of chilled soup always hits the right spot.

One of my favourite Mediterranean-style soups is a tasty tomato soup for which I use both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. It?s light, easy to make and simply delicious.

And the beauty of this soup is that you can make it in advance and keep it chilled while you slave away over the main course. For this delightful summer soup you need:

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped sundried tomatoes

1 kg really ripe fresh tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

550ml vegetable or chicken stock

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 potatoes peeled, halved and thinly sliced

4 shallots or two onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 tot of dry sherry (optional)

Method

Roughly chop the tomatoes, mix in a baking tray with the olive oil and the chopped onion or shallots and roast in an oven pre-heated to 200 deg C for 30-40 minutes, or until onion is lightly browned.

Simmer the potatoes in a saucepan with salted water until soft, strain, cover and set aside.

In a large saucepan spoon in the roasted onion and tomato mix, add the garlic, stock, potatoes and the sundried tomatoes.

Simmer covered for 30 minutes (you might have to add a little more stock).

Remove from heat and stir in the basil and mint then blitz in a blender until smooth (reserve a table spoon of mixed basil and mint to sprinkle into the soup when serving).

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill until ready to serve.