Tomato, Chilli and Red Pepper Soup

Another lunchtime soup recipe to warm you up.

Tomato, Chilli and Red Pepper Soup

It made about a week’s worth of lunches for me.

Ingredients:

1/2 Red onion – diced

1/2 White onion - diced

1pt Hot Stock (I used chicken, but use what you prefer)

2 Cloves Garlic – chopped or 1tsp Garlic Puree

1tsp chilli powder

½tsp chilli flakes

1tbsp Fresh chopped basil or 1tsp dried basil

2 x 400g Tins Plum Tomatoes (Or 700g Passata)

1tbsp oil

2 Red Peppers - deseeded and diced

1 Red Chilli – deseeded and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp Creme Fraiche or cream cheese

1. In a large, heavy pan fry the onion, pepper, chilli and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the chilli flakes and powder and stir to heat for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and mix well.
3. Pour in stock. Stir in the basil. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes. If the water reduces too much just top up with boiling water.
4. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Blend with either a hand held blender or a processor until creamy. Place back on the heat. Adjust seasoning and heat through. If you find it too thick at this stage add hot water or more stock until it suits you.
5. Before serving stir in some crème fraiche or cream cheese.

***The soup does freezer okay. But do this before you add the crème fraiche/ cream cheese.