If you find the idea of making a soufflé a little off-putting, this version really couldn’t be easier, and a hollowed-out tomato makes the perfect container. Serve with seeded wholemeal bread or toast.
SERVES 4 PREPARATION 20 minutes COOKING 20–25 minutes
4 large beefsteak tomatoes, top 5mm/¼in sliced off
90ml/3fl oz/generous ⅓ cup semi-skimmed milk
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 eggs, separated
100g/3½oz/¾ cup strong half-fat Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
snipped chives, to sprinkle (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Scoop out the seeds of the tomatoes to make an empty shell. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with salt and place upside-down on a plate. Set aside for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper.
2 Meanwhile, gently heat the milk until just warm, then stir in the garlic and egg yolks and three-quarters of the Cheddar. Heat gently, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickened. Remove from the heat and season.
3 Whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl until they form stiff peaks. Using a metal spoon, stir a spoonful of the whites into the egg yolk mixture to slacken it, then fold in the remaining egg whites until they are well combined.
4 Grease an ovenproof dish with the olive oil and place the tomatoes upright in the dish. Spoon the soufflé mixture into the tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until the soufflés have risen and are light golden on top. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chives, if using, then serve.
Eggs provide good-quality protein, which is essential for growth and development, such as the production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene (which gives the fruit its red colour), which can protect against cancer.
Food Facts per Portion
Calories 163kcal • Total Carbs 3.1g • total sugar 3g • added sugar 0g