roasted red pepper and tomato soup
roasted red pepper and tomato soup
I like to play with recipes, even ones I've created on my own. There's always a new creative twist that can be added. This roasted red pepper and tomato soup is based on my Israeli Style Toasted Roasted Tomato Soup. I've added roasted red peppers and roasted garlic, and changed up the spices to create something new. I've also taken the liberty to add some ground almonds, borrowing the idea from the wonderful Spanish Romesco Sauce. The almond flour adds protein and flavor and also works as a thickening agent, while keeping the sauce relatively smooth.
You can use red pepper flakes if you haven't got Aleppo pepper, but I recommend that you add this spice to your larder if you don't already have some. It adds a smokey kick to anything you put it on, and its heat is more subtle than that of red pepper flakes.
You can add a dash of cream to make this soup, well, creamy, or keep it vegan/pareve and leave out the cream. Another option is to add cream while retaining the soup’s vibrant color—simply swirl a bit of cream into each bowl, for diners to stir in themselves.
Snipped fresh herbs make a nice bright garnish.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more oil and/or butter as needed
1 head of garlic
2 large red bell peppers
6 large, ripe plum tomatoes
1½ cups diced onion
2 large carrots, diced
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric, fresh or ground
6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
1 28 oz can of (certified) San Marzano tomatoes
5 sprigs fresh parsley
Aleppo pepper, to taste.
salt and pepper to taste
a splash of cream, optional
Snipped green herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, basil... Use one or use them all, whatever you like and have on hand, for garnish.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 500°.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut off the top of the garlic bulb to reveal the cloves inside. Drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and wrap it in foil, then pop the package into the oven to roast.
Prep the peppers: Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and the pith, and place the peppers, cut side down, on the parchment.
Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the pan with the peppers.
When the garlic's been roasting for 30 minutes, slide the pan with the peppers and tomatoes into the oven and roast them for 30 minutes, or until the skins turn black. By this time, your garlic should be roasted. Remove everything from the oven.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel away the burnt skin, retaining the tender, skinless, roasted peppers. You can peel the tomatoes or leave the skins on, as you prefer.
In a soup pot, sauté the chopped onion with a sprinkle of salt, until the onion is soft and translucent. You can use a splash of good olive oil or a knob of sweet butter (or a combination of both) for this.
Add the carrots to the pot and continue sautéing until the onion is golden and the carrots are softened.
Add the coriander and cumin seeds, the turmeric, and the smoked paprika, and stir for about a minute, until the spices release their aroma.
Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the stock, the almond flour, and the roasted peppers and tomatoes to the pot. Squeeze the individual cloves of garlic into the pot. The soft garlic should pop right out of its skin.
Simmer the soup for 30 minutes. Let it cool for a bit, then purée the soup with an immersion blender or transfer it to a food processor and process until smooth. Taste for salt and add as much Aleppo pepper as you like.
You can stir in some cream now, or swirl a little into each bowl, or leave it out altogether.
Re-warm the soup if necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with snipped herbs.