Roasted Bell Pepper & Tomato Soup

Ingredients: 

Peppers:

4-6 Bell Peppers (any colour) 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried or fresh oregano 

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes 

Soup: 

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions (chopped)

4-5 celery stalks (chopped)

5-6 carrots (chopped) 

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp chilli flakes (more or less depending on spice tolerance) 

3-4 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 tbsp fresh basil (or 1/2 tbsp of dried basil) 

1/2 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/3 tbsp of dried thyme) 

Roasted bell Peppers 

2 cups cherry tomatoes (diced, fresh or canned) 

3-4 cups of Vegetable broth 

1/2 cup of Sour Cream 

Preparation: 

Roasted Pepper: 

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Cut Bell Peppers into quarters, then de-seed and trim. 

Place Bell Peppers on baking sheet drizzle them with olive oil and use your hands to coat them well. 

Sprinkle peppers with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes (1/4 teaspoon of all) 

Roast until tender and charred in places about 20 minutes 

Soup:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add Onions, Carrots and Celery. Cook until translucent and soft. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes 

Add Garlic, Basil, Thyme and Roasted Peppers and cook until fragrant. 

Add Tomatoes, Broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until vegetables are soft. 

Turn off the heat and use an immersion blender or pitcher blender to puree the soup until smooth and completely blended. Stir in Sour cream until well combined or place a dollop as a garnish in each bowl.