Sweet Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
Serves 4
When I lived in Rome, I ate sweet red - or 'Romano' - peppers almost every day. They have such a distinct perfectly sweet flavour and go beautifully with tomatoes. This soup can be made for four as a starter or for two as a main course. You can really bring out those Med flavours by garnishing it with lots of torn fresh basil and can even jazz it up with a sprinkle of goats cheese to serve. It freezes well too, so makes a perfect, warming supper to come home to on those cold winter nights.
Ingredients
- 900g of tomatoes (it's definitely worth investing in vine-ripened/good quality ones)
- 250ml boiling water mixed with ½ a vegetable stock cube
- 4 romano peppers
- 2 tsp of good-quality tomato puree
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 cube of good-quality organic vegetable stock
- A handful of fresh Basil (about 5 leaves)
- 2 red onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
Method:
1. Chop up all the peppers – make them quite small, around 2cm big – and chop up the tomatoes into quarters.
2. Boil a kettle and mix 250ml of the hot water with ½ a vegetable stock cube.
3. Roughly chop the onions, garlic and basil.
4. Place a large saucepan on a high heat. Drizzle 1 tbsp of oil with the oregano into the pan, and when the oil is hot add red peppers.
5. Once they have softened, add the onions, garlic and tomato puree.
6. Turn the heat down and let the onions ‘sweat’ until they are quite soft.
7. Then add in the tomatoes and basil, and the water with the stock cube.
8. Place a lid on the saucepan and turn down the heat until it is quite low. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have completed softened.
9. Take it off the heat and once it has cooled (after about 10 minutes) take your hand-blender and blend all together.
10. Garnish with some torn up fresh basil and drizzle of olive oil.