The roasted peppers and tomatoes in this hearty soup make you think of butternut squash, but the orange vegetable is not included. Ideal as a starter, the ingredients below make four small servings, so increase the quantities to make larger and more filling bowlfuls.
Ingredients
4 peppers (green, red, or yellow)
525g of tomatoes
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 onion
2 carrots
568ml (1 pint) of vegetable stock
3 tablespoons of half-fat crème fraîche
12 basil leaves
Pepper to taste
Method
Core, de-seed, and halve the peppers. Halve the tomatoes, and arrange the peppers and tomatoes on a baking/grill tray (peppers skin side up, and tomatoes skin side down) and cook under a preheated high grill for around 10 minutes, until the pepper skins are charred. Remove the roasted vegetables from the grill, and put the peppers into a clipped plastic bag and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Leave the tomatoes to cool for the same amount of time.
Peel off the pepper skins by rubbing until all removed, and chop up the flesh. Peel the skins off the tomatoes (which should be easier than the peppers which can take a while, but persevere – it is worth it). Now chop up the onion and carrots.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and soften the onion and carrot for five minutes. Make the stock as per the instructions on the tub, and add to the pan, along with the roasted peppers and tomatoes. Now reduce the heat and simmer for a further 40 minutes.
If you are making the soup ahead of serving the following day, leave to stand in a covered saucepan. When needed, add all the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer back into a large saucepan, and reheat on the hob. Add the crème fraîche and stir through. Season with a little pepper to taste and serve into bowls, adding three leaves of basil for decoration. Serve with crusty French bread, or Italian focaccia.
This soup can also be bagged and frozen to eat later if you have a glut of homegrown ripe tomatoes that you would like to use.
Tags: Journal, Make your own