There isn't much that a good, comforting bowl of soup won't sort. It has that magical power of giving you a hug from within. This is a special soup that any lucky recipients will accuse you of buying because it tastes THAT good. If you have never made soup before, then make this - you won't be disappointed.
Ingredients
Serves 2 (the roasted veggies will actually make enough sauce to make soup for 6-8 people, or use the extra to create two more meals - my veggie heaven dish and my smoky, creamy, spicy pasta)
For the roasted veggie sauce...
1.4kg large vine tomatoes, halved
3 red peppers, deseeded and sliced into quarters
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Good pinch of sea salt
A few good cracks of black pepper
Pinch of caster sugar
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
For the soup...
1 stock cube (I use chicken, but use vegetable if you want to keep it veggie)
400-500ml boiling water
2 tsp double cream (optional)
Directions
For the roasted veggie sauce..
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
Place all of the vegetables for the sauce into a large baking tray.
Sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sugar and then drizzle over the oil.
Roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes (check at 40 minutes and give a good mix, scraping any juices and crusty bits from the corners of the pan, and press the tomatoes down firmly to encourage them to break down, you want the veggies to roast to a lovely pulpy mess).
Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the smoked paprika, and then mix again.
Leave to cool.
Place the cooled veggies into a blender and blitz until you have a thick sauce.
Place a sieve over a bowl.
Pour the sauce into the sieve.
Use a large metal spoon to push the sauce through the sieve (this will remove any seeds from the tomatoes).
Keep the sauce covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
When ready to make soup..
Crumble the stock cube into a jug.
Pour over 400-500ml boiling water and mix well, ensuring that the stock cube dissolves completely.
Spoon 6 heaped tbsp sauce (3 tbsp per person) into a heavy based, medium pan.
Place onto a medium heat, pour on the stock and mix well.
Heat for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly simmering and heated through.
Split the soup between two serving bowls.
If using the cream, place one teaspoon of cream into each bowl and stir through.
Serve immediately with some warm, crusty, buttered bread.
Delicious x