Roast Capsicum Soup

Yes, another soup! But it is that time of year, and this is a delicious and easy soup, & as it is dairy free (the yoghurt is just a garnish), it freezes very well.

This is from the massive 'Marie Clair - Kitchen' cookbook. It was a gift to me from my friend Kitty, in a round about, amusing way. My friend Nat & I had given Kitty this book as an engagement present. When Kitty left the firm where we worked a few months later, they gave her this same book as a farewell present .... a fact Kitty quickly & loudly announced as she unwrapped it!

So the book found its way to me as an early Christmas present. I use many of the recipe's in here. Its 'cocktail' section is particularly good. The recipe for blinis is very good, as are a couple other of the 'canapes' that I have tried (pan-fried mushrooms w/ pancetta on sliced french bread - yum!).

I have made this soup several times. It always turns out well, it always tastes delicious, it is great in winter w/ its chilli kick, and it looks a little bit impressive. Win, win, win in my book!

In the picture above I served it with a dollop of Maggie Beer's salsa / pesto thing. This works fantastically well, but this isn't a required part of the recipe: yoghurt and fresh mint are the traditional garnish.

Roast Capsicum Soup

4 red capsicums

4 tomatoes
olive oil
500ml vegetable stock (as good a quality as possible)
1 tsp chilli powder, or 1 dried chilli, sliced (more of course it you want!)
1 tsp cumin
yughurt (to serve)
fresh mint (to serve)

Preheat the oven to 200'c.  
 
Put a few good glugs of olive oil into a roasting tin, add the whole tomatoes & capsicums, and use your hands to make sure each veg is has a good coating of the oil.
 
Put into the oven (I also turn the oven's fan on), and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until the caps have started to blacken. then remove from oven, and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins & seeds from the capsicums, and put into a blender with the still-whole tomatoes, & blitz till smooth.
 
Put the vegetable stock in a saucepan, add the tomato/capsicum mix, and stir to mix well together. Taste, and season w/ S&P as necessary.
 
Add the chilli & cumin, stirring well into the soup, then bring the whole thing to a boil. After you've had a rapid boil for a couple of minutes it is ready to either serve, or you can keep on a low heat (or take off the heat), and just warm it up again when you are ready.
 
Serve w/ a dollop of thick yoghurt & some crushed/sliced fresh mint leaves.