Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup

Aja

Roasted Red pepper and Tomato soup

Serves about 8 or 4 Hungry people

The Stuff

4 red peppers, halved
8 roma tomatoes, halved
1 head garlic, remove cloves from skin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 5-oz can tomato paste
2 Tbl fresh parsley
2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl olive oil

What to do

1) In an oven-safe dish, arrange tomatoes and peppers skin up. Use a dish that is large enough to avoid overlapping too much. Add garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and put under the boiler for 20-30 minutes. Remove when skin of vegetables is blackened. Using tongs, place red pepper, tomatoes and garlic in a paper bag (rest inside a bowl to catch liquids). Close and let rest 20 minutes to continue cooking. Retain any liquid left in the baking dish.

2) While red peppers, garlic and tomatoes are in the bag, over medium melt butter in a soup pot. Saute onion, celery and carrots until onion is soft, 8-10 minutes. Add stock and tomato paste; let warm.

3) Add peppers, tomato, garlic and any remaining liquid to the soup pot. Add parsley and bring to a simmer. Carefully in batches using a blender, or with a hand-held cordless blender, puree the soup

4) Garnish with fresh parsley. Add chicken, cream or milk if desired.

NOTE: If you want to add chicken, and do not have it in the stock, simply cook some up on a pan and add it after the soup is pureed To keep this vegetarian but add some heartiness, toss chopped mushrooms in with the onions, celery and carrots

This a very filling soup on its own and is nice with crusty bread .....We had it for dinner with Grilled cheese

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