Tomato Soup

This is one of those that you feel the need to pull up a blanket while having some soup, comfort food at its best. Am not sure why I don’t make soups more often because this Tomato soup was just amazing. A week before I had gone to the market and bought two bags of tomatoes, not sure why I did that or maybe I had planned on doing something with the tomatoes. Of course, I now had to use up the tomatoes before they went bad. This soup is a definite keeper and I tried adding more ingredients to it. I decided to use red pepper that I toasted on my cooker and did not bother peeling off as I wanted the charred bits too. I believe the bell pepper added a unique taste to the soup, next time I will definitely use more than one. If you ever feel sluggish or down, this is a pick me up easy to make kind of soup and you won’t regret it.

Ingredients

7 medium tomatoes

1 Red bell pepper

1 medium onion, cubed

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Fresh Oregano leaves or dried

2 cups water or stock

salt and pepper

Pepper flakes or chili

12 cup full-fat milk or heavy cream

Method

1. Boil the tomatoes for about 5 minutes in order to peel off the skin easier.
2. Using tongs, toast the bell pepper on your stove until charred and place it in a zip lock bag for a few minutes. Chop the pepper into cubes.
3. In a pot cook the onions until translucent then add the garlic and oregano and cook for a minute.
4. Add the bell pepper and tomatoes and any juice, using a wooden spoon crush the tomatoes and let it cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and chili if using. When the tomatoes have thickened slightly add the stock let it come to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook until reduced and soup is slightly thick.
5. Once cooked let it cool down for 10 minutes and put it in the blender. Blend the soup and return it to the pot. On medium heat add the cream, add as much or as little as you wish. Taste and check if you need to add any seasoning.
6. Garnish with cream and basil if using.