BBC Food - Recipes - Creamy tomato soup

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 200g/7oz carrots , chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme
• 750g/1½lb ripe plum or vine-ripened tomatoes , roughly chopped
• ½ tsp sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200ml/7fl oz passata
• 500ml/17fl oz vegetable stock
• 100ml/3½fl oz single cream or low-fat crème fraîche
• splash dry sherry
• crusty bread and butter , to serve