The Soup Series #1: Roasted tomato and red pepper soup

Welcome to the Food and Drink section’s creatively named Soup Series! While soup season undeniably started months ago, and some cynics might argue that this series is beginning far too late, it cannot be said that Manchester is due to get that much warmer any time soon. With the January blues continuing to cloud our days, and the festivity of December feeling like a hazy, Baileys-filled memory, I’m confident that a warm, comforting bowl of soup will be sure to brighten anyone’s day. 

To kick off what I can’t bring myself to call a wild ride, but a rather cosy one per se, what better to start the series with than an elevated classic: roasted tomato and red pepper soup. It’s very easy to rely on Heinz (or Sainsbury’s own brand, if all that student finance is going on rent) for a speedy soup fix, but I promise you the satisfaction of making this bowl yourself, and the feeling of eating real vegetables, is well worth the effort. So with no further ado, here’s how you do it. 

Ingredients:

• Five large tomatoes (vine tomatoes have great flavour, but cheaper options are available)

• Two large red peppers 

• One large bulb of garlic (or two smaller ones will do) 

• Two medium red onions  

• One mug of vegetable stock 

• A glug (yes that is a real measurement) of olive oil 

• Basil (fresh is always best, but a couple of teaspoons of dried basil work too) 

• Salt and black pepper to taste 

• Double cream (50-100ml, depending on how creamy you like your soup) 

• Two teaspoons of tomato purée (optional) 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C fan, or gas mark four. 
2. Halve your tomatoes, red onions, and garlic bulbs (keeping the skin on), de-seed the peppers and cut into thick strips.
3. Place all your vegetables onto a baking tray, with the cut garlic halves face down, to prevent burning.
4. Drizzle olive oil over everything on the tray, and season with salt and pepper, then pop it in the oven for around 45 minutes.
5. The vegetables will be adequately roasted once they have begun to caramelise, with a slight char around the edges. At this stage, pull them out and add them to a large saucepan or blender.

   

6. Use a teaspoon to remove all of the roasted garlic cloves from the skin, and add to the vegetables. You may be tempted by the ‘Instagram squeeze’, but you won’t get as much garlic out of the bulb doing this, and speaking from experience, you may burn your fingers!
7. At this point, add your basil. If using fresh basil, then don’t worry about cutting away the stems, as they add extra flavour.

   

8. Blend until smooth, then let sit on a medium heat in the saucepan, while adding the mug of stock, to loosen the mixture up. Once combined, taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, or the tomato paste, if needed. (Sometimes when using tomatoes out of season, they won’t have as vibrant a taste, so the paste will help intensify the flavour, and add some depth.)
9. Finally, stir in double cream and simmer gently for a few minutes, then enjoy! 

Top tips: 

• Drizzling a little olive oil on the cut side of your garlic bulbs, before placing them on the tray will help with preventing burning, and enhance the flavour. 

• Keep an eye on the vegetables, as they roast, to ensure thinner/smaller pieces don’t burn – the peppers may fall victim to this, if so just pull them out a little early. 

• To ensure an even smoother texture, you may wish to remove tomato seeds and skin before blending, although they are great sources of fibre, so there is no harm in keeping them in. 

• Other herbs or spices you may want to add might include oregano, parsley, or red chilli flakes. I would recommend doing this after the vegetables have come out of the oven, to prevent the bitter taste of burnt herbs. 

• Let your double cream come to room temperature before mixing it in with the soup, as that allows for better emulsification, and less of a likelihood of lumps forming. 

This soup is best served with a warm cheese toastie, or some fresh baguette. With the added handiness of its easiness to freeze, this soup can be quickly brought out as a ready-to-defrost dinner. This recipe makes two to three portions, depending on your soup intake, but the ratio of vegetables is down to personal preference, so feel free to bulk up on the tomatoes and cut out the onions if you’re that way inclined. Alternatively, feel free to experiment by adding other ingredients – roasted carrot or squash will had a hint of sweetness and thicken up your soup, while courgette or spinach can be easily hidden for those who need their nutrients, but struggle with their five-a-day. Enjoy!