Roasted Red Pepper and Chilli Soup ... so warming

I don't know about you, but I can't keep up with the storms we seem to have experienced lately here in the UK! No sooner do we say goodbye to Storm Gareth, then we have Storm Hannah … so please keep safe and warm.

No matter where in the world you live, and whatever weather you may be experiencing, I do hope you have an enjoyable day. But if the weather is too bad (or too hot) why not stay indoors, sit down and read a good book or blog! 

You may have seen in other blog posts that we love red peppers, they are so nutritious and can be eaten in so many ways. The grandchildren love to eat them raw … or in this Red Pepper and Tomato soup … details here

But the recipe I'm sharing today is for another delicious soup which looks beautiful, and the flavour is rich but subtle. Some may think it a little fiddly to prepare, so do allow yourself time in the kitchen when you start cooking. This soup freezes well (see below) so you may prefer to make extra and freeze it.

Ingredients:

Serves 2 - 4

6 red peppers (capsicums), halved, cored and deseeded
2 red chillies*, halved, cored and deseeded
1 bulb garlic, halved but not peeled
6 tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 450ml
4 tbsp. savoury seed mix
4 tsp pesto

a few croutons for topping (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.

2. Place peppers, chillies and garlic in a large tin and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Add tomato halves and roast for a further 10-15 minutes until peppers have charred on the outside. Remove from the oven and cool until you can handle them.
4. Skin peppers and place flesh in a liquidiser. Skin and deseed tomatoes. Place seeds in a sieve and collect juice. Add this to the liquidiser plus the flesh of the tomatoes and chillies.
5. Squeeze the flesh out of the garlic cloves into the liquidiser with the oil and vegetable stock and liquidise until smooth.

6. Reheat to serve and top with seed mix — add pesto and croutons if desired.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines:

Make the soup, then leave to cool at room temperature. Freeze (without garnishes or toppings) in a rigid container, leaving a bit of space for expansion, for up to 1-3 months. Reheat either from frozen or defrost in the fridge overnight. Once piping hot, add toppings or garnishes and serve.

Each serving contains:

Carbohydrate 24.8g Protein 8.8g Fibre 8.6g Fat 15g 

* if your taste is for less spicy use 1, medium spicy 2, more spicy 3 

Please see original idea here

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues please take these into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan