Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This dish was born out of laziness… pure laziness. However, when I came around to making it – I ended up making my own bread, roasted red peppers and pesto. How that happened, I will never know!

The soup is served with basil pesto toasts and is perfect for the cold autumn/winter nights. It’s easy to make, packed full of flavor, and will supply you with a boost of vitamin A, C, B6, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

The smokiness of the roasted red peppers and paprika is complemented with the garlic and herb seasoned tomato soup base. It goes spectacularly with the pesto toasts – either dip them into the soup, or nibble on them between spoonfuls of warm soup. A dollop of creme fraiche or soured cream would also work well.

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
For the soup
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
400 g (1 ⅔ c) passata or crushed tomatoes
600 g (1 ⅓ lb) roasted red peppers*
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon** vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons paprika
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch chili flakes
480 ml (2 c) water or as needed
salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto toasts
1 (30 cm, 12 inch) baguette*, sliced into 1 cm (3/8 inch) diagonal slices
5 tablespoons basil pesto*

* Homemade is best, but feel free to use the shop-bought varieties for a quick cheat.
** Better than bouillon is a concentrated paste, which you add water to, to make a stock. If this is not available, use stock cubes or ready-made unsalted stock instead of water in step 4.

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Arrange slices of bread onto baking tray (pan) and bake in middle of oven for 15 minutes, turning once. Remove and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan with olive oil over medium heat until hot. Sauté onion and garlic until aromatic, 3-5 minutes.

4. Add passata or crushed tomatoes, roasted red peppers, stock paste, oregano, basil, paprika, sugar, chili flakes and half of the water.

5. Bring to a simmer, then using a hand (immersion) blender, blitz the soup until smooth.

6. Add the remaining water (or as needed) to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then allow to cool slightly.

7. Meanwhile, spread the basil pesto onto the toasted bread and serve alongside the soup. Enjoy!