Hello everyone!
First off, I hope that you had a wonderful Hanukah/Christmas/celebration day with your loved ones.
Now, after all that feast, don’t you feel like having something lighter? Yes, I knew you would! 😉
As previously mentioned, I love soup. And vegetable soup is my favourite. Within this realm, tomato soup would be my queen soup. I love it! It’s fresh and vibrant, especially when made with fresh tomatoes, yet it’s comforting, and it’s so versatile too… it’s really my go-to soup (although onion soup is a strong contender).
One way I really like having it is by roasting the tomatoes before blending them. Yes, I know, most of my tomato recipes involve roasting them, but it’s a process which, I find, enhances the flavours, so why not do it?
For this recipe, I am adding some sweetness by roasting along some sweet red bell pepper and onion. You can substitute the garlic powder for cloves and let it roast along with the rest of the veggies for added flavour.
You will also come to know that smoked paprika is one of my favourite spices, and I added a good bit of it in this bowl of soup. It adds an extra layer of flavour as well as a subtle smoky heat.
Serves 4-6
- 1.5kg/3 lbs tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
- 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 500 to 750ml/2-3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- Salt & pepper
- A dash garlic powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- Smoked paprika to taste
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F and position one rack in the middle of the oven.
Place the tomatoes, bell pepper and onions in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and toss to coat. Then turn the tomatoes and bell pepper so that they are skin down in the dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes start collapsing and the onions start caramelizing.
Empty the baking dish in a deep saucepan and puree with an immersion blender. If you use a conventional blender or food processor, work in batches to puree.
Blend in 250ml/1 cup of the stock and keep adding the rest about half a cup at a time until the soup is the desired consistency. I use 500ml/2 cups of broth, but add more if you like a thinner soup.
Stir in the sugar, then add smoked paprika to taste.
Serve with croutons.
Enjoy!
