Smoky Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Prep time: 40 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 400g red peppers, halved and deseeded

• 400g ripe tomatoes, halved

• 120g onion, sliced

• 15g garlic, peeled

• 20g olive oil

• 5g smoked paprika

• 700g vegetable stock

• 15g tomato purée

• 6g sea salt

• 2g freshly ground black pepper

For the Basil Oil

• 30g fresh basil leaves

• 60g extra virgin olive oil

• 2g sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic on a tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, then roast for 25 minutes until soft and slightly charred.

2. Transfer everything to a saucepan, add the vegetable stock and tomato purée. Simmer for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together.

3. Blend until smooth and velvety. Adjust seasoning to taste — a pinch more salt or smoked paprika if you like it bolder.

4. For the basil oil, blend basil leaves, olive oil and salt until vibrant green and smooth.

5. Serve the soup hot, drizzled with basil oil and a few fresh basil leaves on top for extra flair.

Storage.

Cool the soup completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Keep the basil oil covered and chilled — use within 5 days.