Embrace Autumn with this show-stopper of a soup: roasted San Marzano tomatoes and Romano peppers, coated in basil pesto, sweet caramelised garlic & homemade chunky croutons - it doesn't get much better than that!
Living in England, I have learnt to embrace the colder and gloomier days of Autumn. In fact, although Autumn has theoretically only just started, this whole Summer has often felt like a pre-Autumn, with many rainy, cold days. On those days, I love getting cosy at home, reading a book by the window sill, listening to the rain tapping away in the background, baking a cake or some muffins... and making soups - plenty of soups.
Soups are one of my comfort foods, especially when extra creamy, and served with a generous side of crusty bread. So while I have quick, easy soups, made with mostly canned ingredients, every so often I love making a more laborious soup, where I take time to roast all the components before cooking on the stove. This Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup is just that, but it is worth every step and will be a game changer in the colder evenings. Plus, you can make a big batch to eat throughout the week or freeze for a later occasion, to get maximum comfort with half of the work!
How to Make My Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
Invest in good-quality ingredients: For this soup, I actually went to the greengrocer's and picked some great produce - since the ingredients are minimal, you want to invest in quality. I got a mix of San Marzano, Mini San Marzano and On the Vine tomatoes, as well as Romano peppers. But you can choose whatever kind of tomato or pepper you like.
Add flavour at every step: This soup really is a flavour bomb - that is because we roast our veg in tangy green pesto, as well as roasting a whole head of garlic until gooey and caramelised. For the soup itself, we also add onion, herbs and a stock pot (but a cube is also fine) and drizzle with some more pesto at the end. There is nothing bland about it.
For extra creaminess, add beans: Cannellini beans are the secret weapon of this soup, achieving the most satisfying texture without adding dairy, and giving us a good helping of fibre too. Of course, you can switch to cream if you want, but I encourage you to give the humble can of cannellini a chance.
Make the perfect croutons: Here, we make our own chunky croutons, crisping them up in the oven and coating generously with olive oil, garlic and mixed herbs. I can assure you, you won't be able to go back to regular, store-bought croutons after trying these.
Ingredients - makes 4 servings
750g mixed tomatoes (I used a mix of San Marzano, Mini San Marzano and On the Vine, but you could do whatever you prefer)
200g red peppers (I went for Romano peppers, but bell peppers also work)
2 tbsp jarred pesto + more for drizzling
1 brown onion
1 head of garlic
1 vegetable stock pot (or cube)
1 can of cannellini beans
1 tbsp mixed herbs
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
Olive oil, salt & pepper
For the croutons:
5 slices of thick, good-quality bread
2 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mixed herbs
1/4 tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F
Chop your tomatoes and peppers into large chunks (about 3cm-4cm large). Add to an ovenproof dish, then stir with 2 tbsp jarred pesto and mix until fully coated. Cut the top of the head of garlic, drizzle the top with a generous amount of olive oil, then transfer to a foil sheet. Wrap in the foil, then nest it among the tomatoes and peppers. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 mins, until the peppers and tomatoes of lightly charred.
In the meantime, finely slice an onion and add to a large pot or casserole dish, and cook for about five mins on a medium heat, until translucent and softened. Set aside.
Cut each bread slice into thick croutons, add to a bowl along with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 heaped tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp mixed herbs and 1/4 tsp salt. Mixed until coated.
Once the tomatoes and peppers are done roasting, take them out of the oven and add to the pot with the onion. Leave the garlic in the ovenproof dish, and add your croutons. Place the ovenproof dish back in the oven for another 15-20 mins or until the bread has crisped up.
In the meantime, make the soup. Turn the heat up to medium. Drain a can of cannellini beans and add to the pan. Then add enough water to just cover the veg, along with one stock pot or cube, 1 tbsp mixed herb, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar, about 1/2 tsp salt and generous sprinkle of black pepper. Bring to a boil and gently simmer.
Once the croutons and garlic are done, take out of the oven. Carefully open the foil (watch out not to burn your fingers) and check the garlic is done - it should be darker in colour and the cloves should be soft. If that's not the case yet, rewrap in the foil and return to the oven for another few mins. If it's done, let it cool down slightly (enough for you to handle it) and then squeeze the bulb, making all the caramelized cloves fall into the pot.
Stir everything, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for another 10 mins.
Using a hand-held blender, blend your soup until creamy. Add more water if you need to loosen the consistency, and taste to see if you need to add any salt.
Once the soup is ready, serve in bowls, topped with an extra drizzle of pesto and a generous amount of croutons.
This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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