Oven Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Anyone who knows me knows that I love making delicious dishes out of roasted vegetables. It could be a sauce, a stew, or this wonderful oven roasted bell pepper and tomato soup. It’s a light dish but it can also be considered a complete meal as it has some red lentils and, if desired, some croutons or bruschetta with garlic and oil. Those who are gourmands can also serve it with a spoonful or two of green pesto.

This recipe is an excellent starting point or base to create sauces for pizza, tofu fillets, potato gnocchi, or pasta. If, on the other hand, you want to turn it into a delicious soup like this, all you have to do is add some vegetable broth to the sauce.

The process is super simple, but there are two things I would like to recommend:

• To make the soup, it is better to use only red tomatoes, other colors could make the soup look unappetizing.
• If you want to serve it with lentils, you must cook them separately as the acidity of the tomatoes will prevent them from cooking properly.

Ingredients for 4 – 5 servings:

• 1 kg ripe tomatoes
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 red onion
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (or xylitol or erythritol)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste or 4 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 150 g red lentils
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
• salt, pepper, and chili to taste

To serve:

• a handful of basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon of green pesto or extra virgin olive oil per serving
• croutons or bruschetta with garlic and oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half, then place them on a baking tray. Sprinkle the sugar on the tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, then place them peel up on the tray with the tomatoes.
4. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Add it to the baking tray.
5. Season the vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil and bake them for 1 hour.
6. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the peel from the tomatoes and the peppers.
7. Prepare the broth, then cook the red lentils separately. Once the lentils are cooked, pour them into the broth, add the roasted vegetables and tomato paste or dried tomatoes.
8. Blend the soup until smooth.
9. Season the soup with oil, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and chili. Before serving the soup, decorate each portion with a spoonful of green pesto or extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves. If you like, add some croutons or bruschetta.