Mar 10

Mar 10 Roast Tomato & Romano Pepper Soup

As the days grow longer, the winds blow stronger ..

So said who? Well, erm .. Someone wise. At some point.

Around my manor at the moment, spring is hard at work trying to manoeuvre winter to its temporary resting place. Winter can be stubborn though & reluctant to relinquish its hold.

Time then for some warming soup but with a spring touch.

Roast Tomato & Romano Pepper Soup

For two

750g Tomatoes (a mix of whatever you fancy - halve the bigger ones, leave the small ones whole)
1 Onion
1 Romano Pepper
30ml Olive Oil
1 Whole Head Garlic
2 Rosemary Sprigs
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
Basil Leaves to garnish

Oven 200C/180F/Gas 6

Peel & chop the onion before putting into a roasting tin

Slice the pepper lengthwise, removing the top green stalk & the seeds before chopping roughly & adding to the tin

Discard stalks & stems from the tomatoes & they now join the onion & pepper together with the needles from the rosemary

Pour over the oil, tossing everything together

Garlic is next, unpeeled & in the centre of the party

Add the chilli flakes & some salt & pepper

Bake everything for an hour, stirring from time to time

Remove from the oven and transfer the tomatoes, pepper & lovely roasting juices to a blender or food processor

Break the garlic into cloves & then squeeze the gorgeous flesh into the blender/food processor

Pulse all your ingredients until you have a medium to thick purée before adding the vinegar

Reheat gently before serving & tearing up a few basil leaves with which to top your soup On my table to accompany this gentle, soothing & slightly spicy bowl was a warmed garlic & parsley flatbread.

I could still feel a biting easterly wind winding its way through the gaps in my window & I was so grateful for the supper in front of me.

AMM