Description
This roasted tomato and red pepper soup is healthy, quick, naturally creamy and a fab way to use any veggies past their best. It’s as simple as throwing everything into the oven, then blending with stock and you’re done. So easy, super hands off and you’ll have a warming and delicious soup in no time.
Ingredients
For the roasted tomato and red pepper soup -
- 1 lb (500g) ripe tomatoes - a mix of regular and cherry tomatoes works well)
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 medium onion, peeled (yellow, white, or red)
- 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you like)
To serve -
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil (to drizzle)
- Optional: quick baked parmesan crisps, grilled cheese, or crusty bread (no-knead chili cheese focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread is great).
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C fan). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut your tomatoes into wedges, the bell peppers into chunks (discard the seeds and core), and the onion into wedges. Arrange them on the sheet pan, with the unpeeled garlic cloves.
- Roast the vegetables. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat and combine. Try to make sure the vegetables are on a (roughly) single layer, so they cook evenly. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until they’re soft and charred around the edges.
- Blend the soup. Remove the tray from the oven. Carefully squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins (they should easily pop out), then transfer everything to a blender (I like to pick up the parchment paper and slide the veggies into the blender!) Add 1 cup of vegetable stock, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin if you’re using it. Blend until super smooth, about three minutes.
- Simmer and serve. Pour the blended soup into a large pot over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if it needs it. Divide the soup between bowls, then top with the fresh basil leaves, a good grind of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy while it’s hot.
Notes
PREP AHEAD: Roast the vegetables in advance to save even more time on busy weeknight – they’ll be fine for up to 2 days in the fridge. Then you can blend with the stock when you’re ready to serve.
FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: The soup freezes beautifully. I like to portion it out and store it in zip-lock bags for easy storage. You can then defrost it in the fridge overnight, or gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR SOUP: Add smoked paprika or chili flakes for a smoky, spicy kick, add butter beans when you blend it to add protein and dairy-free creaminess, or swirl in heavy cream (or a vegan alternative) for richness. You can also jazz it up by tearing creamy burrata over the top to serve.
NOT JUST A SOUP: While this is a delicious soup, you can use it as a quick pasta sauce (try it in this baked burrata and tomato pasta or one-pot cheesy tomato orzo), pizza sauce (it’s brilliant used with this two-ingredient Greek yogurt pizza crust), as the tomatoey base for an easy shakshuka, or use it in place of canned tomatoes in any recipe – like this one pot cheesy white bean tomato bake, easy skillet lasagna, Bolognese rice bake or as the base in this tomato and mascarpone risotto.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: soups
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 129
- Sugar: 8.75g
- Sodium: 1409mg
- Fat: 7.25g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.25g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15.75g
- Fiber: 3.75g
- Protein: 2.75g
- Cholesterol: 0mg