Tomato and Red Pepper Soup.

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup – Easy Recipe (houseandgarden.co.uk)
Ingredients
A dash of extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil makes this simple tomato and red pepper soup recipe oh-so special.
Best of all, it takes just 10 minutes to prepare. An easy - and tasty - way to beat the chill.

2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large red peppers, seeds removed and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
600g (21oz) ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1l chicken stock or vegetable stock
1tbsp chopped fresh basil, to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
Sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Add the fresh tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, the stock and 1 (250ml) cup of water.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.
Purée the soup in batches in a food processor or with a hand-held blender.
Strain through a coarse sieve and add a little extra stock, if desired.
4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve hot, and garnished with the basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

top tips
Roasting the vegetables gives the soup a delicious flavour.
Simply halve the onions, tomatoes and peppers, place them on a lined baking tray.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast in a 200°C (gas mark 6) oven for 60 minutes, turning the onions and peppers once.
Next, peel the skin from the cooked peppers and tomatoes.
Add the vegetables to the stock and continue from step 2.