Tomato soup with cheese & sausage toasts

Trim fennel, peel onion and garlic, then roughly chop with chillies. Process in a food processor until very smooth. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel mixture, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.

Preheat grill to high. Meanwhile, quarter fresh tomatoes, then process with canned tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. Add to fennel mixture with rice and 250ml (1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low–medium and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut baguette into 8 x 1cm slices on the diagonal. Drizzle both sides lightly with extra oil. Squeeze sausage meat from casings and press thinly over 4 bread slices. Thinly slice bocconcini and layer over remaining 4 bread slices. Place all slices on an oven tray lined with foil, then scatter with parmesan. Place tray 20cm from element and grill for 8 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and browned, and cheese is melted and browned.

Adjust consistency of soup with a little extra water if too thick, then ladle into bowls. Top each with a cheese and a sausage toast. Strip leaves from thyme sprigs and scatter over soup with extra parmesan to serve.