26 March, 2013

Vegan Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe | How to Make Simple Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Learn how to make Vegan Creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup ~ Quick and easy roasted bell pepper and tomato soup with caramelised onions and garlic

The temperature outside continues to drop in spite of we officially stepping into spring since last week! This weekend we will set our clocks 1 hour forward across the European countries to mark the spring daylight saving so that evenings have more daylight. In less than a month’s time the sun will rise before 6 am only to set after 7 pm! And in two months time we will have the difficulty to convince Lil Dumpling to go to bed at 7 pm as he will be left wondering why one needs to go to bed when the sun is still shining bright till 10 at night only to wake up at 4 in the morning to find sunrays streaming through the curtains!

Feel the warmth ~ Creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

But let’s concentrate on the main topic I want to rant on which happens to be winter that refuses to leave. First there was a sign of spring with pretty yellow daffodils and blue bells lifting their face to whatever little sunlight streamed through heavy grey clouds. The early sight of spring made us all cheerful and happy inspite of outside temperature refusing to rise to double digits. Just when we began planning for our spring break the temperature dipped to sub zeros. And then it snowed!

Comfort food for cold winters ~ Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Last weekend, we found ourselves in midst of heavy snowfall. First it was tiny flurries of snow flakes, twirling and dancing around in the mid air and tickling our face and then melting as soon as they touched the ground. Slowly but steadily they picked up pace and what was just a flurry turned into a heavy snowfall. Couple of inches of snow on Friday evening turned into a foot and half of thick blanket of silver dust when we woke up on Saturday morning. For once the weather man was right and it snowed heavily which is a rarity in this part of the world. For the last 8 years of my stay in England, a couple of inches of snow were considered a blessing for those who love snow, like me! For someone who grew up in humid and hot temperature and non-existence winter, snow always had magical effect on me. So when I moved here in the peak cold winter month of December 2005 all I wanted to see was snow! And that is exactly what I didn’t get to see on my first winter in a very cold part of England! All I remember is being really disappointed for living a cold country with not even a thin dusting of snow… Looking at my disappointment for not getting a chance to beat the hell out DH in snowball fight, hubby took me for a ten long days of holidays in snow capped mountains of Swiss Alps the same year to celebrate my birthday! :)
Perfect for snowy winters ~ Creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

All these years we had little flurries of snow which would disappear as soon as they touched the ground and if we were lucky, we had an two or three inches of snow which saw me rolling on the ground like a small puppy and making snow angles or throwing fist sized snowballs at unassuming DH while he carried on scrapping the car windows. The year Lil Dumpling was born saw a major snow storm in entire Europe which caused the entire traffic, air and land, to come to halt! Unfortunately I missed all that fun as I was in India enjoying postnatal pampering from my mom and MIL while gorging on plates after plates of delicious food! I was inconsolable as DH described the non stop snowing which forced the schools and offices to shut down for weeks and made air traffic come to complete halt! It was only after eating my 3rd Masala Dosa made by my Amma and popping half a dozen home made Gulab Jamuns sent by my MIL, I retired to bed with a smile on face with my infant son gurgling happily next to me!

Just a handful of ingredients is all you need ~ Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

But these last two years have made up for lack of snowfalls in the last couple of years. While last year we had almost a foot deep snowfall, this January we had enough snowfall to keep me happy for the entire year! And just when I was looking forward to the colourful spring flowers to bloom in our backyard, we found the beautiful daffodils, bluebells and the tulip buds buried under almost a foot and half of thick snow. For the first time in my life the whole snow episode made me unhappy as half of the spring bulbs we painstakingly planted shivering in the cold winter months will not see the sky above them! For first time in my life, the snow has lost its charm and magic by falling on us at the most unexpected time of the year. For once snow joins the list of unwanted guests who come knocking on your door when they are least expected or wanted!

Tomatoes, bell pepper, onions and garlic for Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Since the winter refuses to leave us, we are still cooking and eating bowls after bowls of hot comfort foods that keeps us warm and happy. While the hot and spicy Rasam and curries still tops the lists, we have been cooking and eating homemade breads dunked in super hot Soups. Lil Dumpling is a big fan of Tomato Soups and hence I have been making different versions of tomato soups while adding few other vegetables on sly! Sometimes I stir in couple of carrots and beetroots and other time sweet corns or handful of pasta magically jump into the pot of soup when Lil Dumpling is not looking. And then there are times when I make this delicious and creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup which by far is our most favourite tomato based soups.

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup ~ Creamy and Comforting

The Creamy Vegan Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup have four of our most favourite vegetables, bell peppers, tomato, onion and garlic and a dash of olive oil. This got to be one of the most simple and best ways of making soup with very little prep work. Roasting the vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and you really don’t need anything else to flavour it other than sprinkle of salt. I like to keep the flavour very simple as we love the taste of roasted vegetables coming through every spoonful of goodness. The heady aroma of garlic and sweetness from roasted and caramelised red onions takes the flavour to next level when added with roasted sweet red bell peppers and juicy tomatoes. There is no need of adding cream or corn flour to thicken the soup or need of adding every spice available. Just keep it simple and let the natural sweet taste of roasted vegetables to shine on.

This Creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup have to be best Tomato Soup I have made so far. It has the deep flavour of tomato with sweetness from red bell pepper and caramelised red onions. And then there is hint of garlic teasing your taste buds! There are times when I add small cup full of steamed or canned sweet corns just because all 3 of us love sweet corns. And sometimes when I crave for something hot and spicy, I add a generous spoonful of red chilli powder or smoked paprika. I have cooked it many times over the year but never blogged the recipe thinking who would want the recipe for simple Tomato Soup?! But then recipes like this should be shared with everyone who loves good Tomato Soups! So here it is… Go on and make some Creamy Vegan Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup if you live in a country where winter still refuses to leave. And then weather needn’t be a reason to enjoy a bowl of creamy goodness!

Just 4 vegetables flavoured with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt is all you need to create this comfort in a bowl! Oh, do remember to add pinch of love before ladling it to into a large soup bowl and serve it with smile :)

Vegetables before roasting

Vegetables for soup after oven roasting

Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup


Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup (Creamy and simple oven roasted bell pepper/capsicum and tomato soup flavoured with roasted onion, garlic and extra virgin olive oil)
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Spice Level: Low
Serves: 4-5 people
Shelf Life: Upto 3 days in refrigerator or 2-3 weeks when frozen in an air tight container
Serving Suggestion: As appetizer or starter or as a meal with side salad/toast/grilled sandwich

Ingredients:
6 large Tomatoes, halved
2 medium or 1 large Red Bell Pepper, deseeded and quartered
1 large Red Onion, peeled, halved and each half is cut into 3 equal pieces
4-5 large cloves of Garlic, unpeeled
2-4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt to taste
Hot and comforting bowl of Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup

Method:
  1. Pre heat the oven at 170 deg C and line the baking tray with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
  2. While the oven is getting heat, prepare the vegetables for roasting. Halve the tomatoes and quarter the deseeded red bell peppers and peeled red onions. Take all these vegetables in a large mixing bowl and add garlic cloves in their peels. Now drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and mix them all well.
  3. Spread the vegetables in a single layer (skin side down) on a lined baking tray and pop it in an oven.
  4. Let the vegetables roast for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes start to collapse and the onion and bell peppers start to brown and caramelise.
  5. Turn the onions and bell peppers if they start getting overly dark in the halfway to prevent them from burning. Remove the garlic cloves from oven after 12-15 mins of roasting time or once they turn golden and oozy from inside.
  6. Peel the garlic and add them to the roasted vegetables. Blend the roasted vegetables with the help of a hand blender or food processor to chunky or smooth puree based on how you prefer it. I like mine little chunky textured while my two boys prefer their soup really creamy.
  7. If your are using a mixer grinder, please take little care while pureeing the roasted vegetables as they will be really hot and can scald your hands if care is not taken. Blend them in batches after they slightly cool down.
  8. Transfer the pureed roasted vegetable to a pan and add 3-4 cups of vegetable stock or plain water. Heat the soup and add sea salt to taste. You can also add smoked paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder or crushed peppercorns to taste. I prefer not to as I like the smoky flavour of the roasted vegetables.
  9. Serve this utterly delicious Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup on its own or make a meal out of it by serving it with a toasted bread or grilled cheese sandwich.
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup for snowy winter days


Sia’s Notes:
  • Turn the onions and bell peppers if they start getting overly dark in the halfway to prevent them from burning.
  • Remove the garlic cloves from oven after 12-15 mins of roasting time or once they turn golden and oozy from inside.
  • You can grind the roasted vegetable to smooth paste or leave it bit chunky depending on how you like your soup. I keep mine little chunky as I like biting into small pieces of vegetables where as DH and my lil one likes their soup to be really smooth and creamy.
  • If your are using a mixer grinder, please take little care while pureeing the roasted vegetables as they will be really hot and can scald your hands if care is not taken. Blend them in batches after they slightly cool down.
  • Serve this utterly delicious Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup on its own or make a meal out of it by serving it with a toasted bread or grilled cheese sandwich.
  • If you like spicy soup, just add smoked paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder or crushed black peppercorns to taste.

11 comments :

  1. A lovely and colorful soup! Soul-uplifting...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. The soup looks so yummy and its perfect for cold nights here in Denver. Will give it a try soon. Thanks for the recipe

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  3. I love this mild flavored soup...

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  4. This looks so delicious..I am making it tomorrow..btw, I love the colour of your nail polish..

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  5. wonderful pics....looks awesome soup

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  6. Wow Sia, that roasted tomato soup looks stunning and delicious. Just the right kind of food one would love to devour in icy winters. Loved the seamless white background clicks!

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  7. likey,likey- the very same soup for lunch here along with toasted bread sandwich. nice post sia

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  8. Perfect soup for the weather :) Love all the bright colors.

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  9. Hi Sia,
    Been following your blog and wonderful pics for a while now. I wholeheartedly agree with all your rants on winter...even I recently did a post with similar thoughts, but you've described it so well :-)
    I love making chutneys, soups etc with roasted tomatoes, the flavor is just divine.

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  10. I have also take pictures os soup in snow when winter was at its peak almost -12c it was crazy but a nice experience...gorgeous picture and soup looks wonderful!

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  11. Beautiful photos! Thanks for participating in this month's DMBLGit contest!

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