Name: Roasted tomato soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 8 plum tomatoes, halved; 1 red bell pepper; salt; black pepper; ½ tsp chilli flakes; 10 basil leaves; ½ onion, diced; 1 tblsp Olive oil; 1 tblsp butter; ½ tsp thyme; 4 tblsp cream, optional

In need of a super speedy but delicious lunch? My roasted tomato soup is here to help.

I am a firm believer that not all tomato soups are created equally. There are some that are way to acidic and the taste is just not enjoyable and then you have others that taste like unseasoned pureed tomatoes, I mean what’s the point right??

My version is sweetened by the addition of roasted red peppers and mellowed out by the heavy cream.

Let’s get cooking…

Place tomatoes and bell pepper on a roasting tray, toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt. Roast at 200C for 35-40 minutes until blistered. While that is roasting, sweat the onions in olive oil and butter with a pinch of salt until they are translucent.

When the tomatoes are ready, remove the skin from the bell pepper and add the tomatoes and pepper to the onions along with ½ cup of water. Season with chilli flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes so that the flavour concentrates. After 30 minutes, add in the basil then blend with a hand blender.

Spoon into bowls and top with 2 tablespoons of cream per bowl if using.

Serve with a side of grilled cheese (braaibroodjies) for dipping, this is an essential step in my opinion!

Roasted tomato soup

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

Ingredients

8 plum tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper
salt
black pepper
½ tsp chilli flakes
10 basil leaves
½ onion, diced
1 tblsp Olive oil
1 tblsp butter
½ tsp thyme
4 tblsp cream, optional

Directions

Place tomatoes and bell pepper on a roasting tray, toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and salt. Roast at 200C for 35-40 minutes until blistered
While that is roasting, sweat the onions in olive oil and butter with a pinch of salt until they are translucent.
When the tomatoes are ready, remove the skin from the bell pepper and add the tomatoes and pepper to the onions along with ½ cup of water
Season with chilli flakes, thyme, salt and pepper.
Allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes so that the flavour concentrates
After 30 minutes, add in the basil then blend with a hand blender
Spoon into bowls and top with 2 tablespoons of cream per bowl if using
Serve with a side of grilled cheese for dipping.

When the weather starts to cool down and squash season arrives the only thing that pops into my mind is soup! I have been putting this off for a while but my mind has had other ideas and I have not been able to stop thinking about soul warming butternut squash soup.

As a bonus this is completely meat free and even vegan! The addition of a little garam masala brings in the Indian twist that adds a great amount of flavour without overpowering the butternut.

Let’s get cooking…

Season the squash halves with salt, pepper and olive oil and roast at 180C until tender, about 45 minutes. When the squash is almost done roasting, start sautéing the onions in olive oil, once the onions are translucent add in the ginger and garlic, garam masala, chilli flakes and fry until fragrant.

Remove butternut from oven and scoop into the pot. Toss with the onions and spices and allow to braise for 5 minutes. Then add in the stock and coconut cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes so that the flavours meld together then turn off the heat and very carefully blend with an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, then spoon the soup into a blender and blend till smooth.

Spoon into soup bowls, top with a few pumpkin seeds and enjoy. I served it in little pumpkin bowls made from mini pumpkins that I hollowed out as a festive treat.

Curried butternut squash soup

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Ingredients

1 butternut, cut in half
2 cups of stock
4 tblsp coconut cream
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
½ onion, diced
1 tsp garam masala
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
2 tblsp pumpkin seeds

Directions

Season the squash halves with salt, pepper and olive oil and roast at 180C until tender, about 45 minutes
When the squash is almost done roasting, start sautéing the onions in olive oil, once the onions are translucent add in the ginger and garlic, garam masala, chilli flakes and fry until fragrant.
Remove butternut from oven and scoop into the pot
Toss with the onions and spices and allow to braise for 5 minutes. Then add in the stock and coconut cream and bring to a simmer
Simmer for 10 minutes so that the flavours meld together then turn off the heat and very carefully blend with an immersion blender.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, then spoon the soup into a blender and blend till smooth.
Spoon into soup bowls, top with a few pumpkin seeds and enjoy.
served it in little pumpkin bowls made from mini pumpkins that I hollowed out as a festive treat.