Tomato and red pepper soup

Hygge comfort returns
It’s that time of year again, it’s cold, blooming freezing, and it’s dark most of the time. It’s really easy during the cold autumn and winter months to get a bit low or blue and pine away wishing for spring. So to combat that, over the past couple of years, Kate and I have been trying to get into the Danish mindset of hygge. Basically trying to take joy in the things that make life good. A warm home, good food, family, and friends. It’s all about the little things, personal to each and every one of us. It could be reading a book by the fire, a long soak in the tub or just having family around for dinner.

So in the spirit of sharing our hygge findings, we’ve been sharing our best comforting winter recipes.

For us, part of the joy in this amazing soup is that the ingredients came from our garden, which always makes food taste better. Knowing you put the time and energy into growing them. It also goes amazingly well with some sourdough, imagine…… 🙂

So what do you need?

• 3 red peppers, halved & de-seeded.
• 1 onion, unpeeled & halved.
• 4 Cloves of garlic
• 2 Sticks of celery, sliced & chopped.
• 500g tomatoes.
• 450ml Vegetable stock.
• 2tbsp Olive oil.
• 2tbsp Tomato puree.
• 1tbsp Sundried tomato paste.
• 1tsp chilli flakes.
• 25g Butter.
• Salt & pepper.

What to do

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and put the pepper & onion halves (cut side down), the tomatoes & garlic onto a baking tray & drizzle with the olive oil. Bake at the top of your oven for 30 mins or until the vegetables are roasted & tender.
2. Meanwhile melt down the butter in a large pot over a low heat and soften the chopped celery. Don’t burn the butter.
3. Add the tomato puree, sundried tomato paste & the chilli flakes to the stock and mix well and then add to the sauteed celery. Remove from the heat.
4. When the baked vegetables are ready remove the peel from the onion & garlic cloves and the skin from the peppers and tomatoes roughly chop them & add them to the pan along with the tomatoes. Place back onto a low to medium heat & using a hand blender blend until the soup is smooth.
5. Season to taste & gently simmer until the soup is at a comfortable edible temperature. Do not allow the soup to boil. Serve with homemade sourdough bread & enjoy the moment.

Could it be any simpler?