Tomato & Roasted Vegetable Soup

 

I have made this soup before however not with roasted vegetables and what an aromatic delight it was to do so. Not only was this flavoursome with fresh roasted herbs but I used up and roasted some vegetables that were otherwise lacklustre in their appearance. For being a soup with simple ingredients and minimal effort this is quite substantial and one that will be on repeat in our house.  

Tomato & Roasted Vegetable Soup

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2 large white onions, peeled and chopped

2 red peppers, cored and chopped

1 orange pepper, cored and chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 -4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 - 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 oz /2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 x 796 ml salt free diced tomatoes or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped

1 pint / 600ml low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Prep the vegetables. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place the onions, peppers, carrots, garlic and grape tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper and and sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Toss to coat. Place the oiled vegetables and herbs on the prepared baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. The vegetables and herbs should be well roasted and fragrant, not burnt. Remove from oven.

Using a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Once the butter has melted add the roasted vegetables and the herby bits from the sprigs, discard the sprigs. Stir the roasted vegetables and herbs in the butter for about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Sprinkle in the flour, gently stir to coat the vegetables, simmering for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring everything to a boil, then turn down to medium low and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the tomatoes are tender, remove from heat and using a handheld blender on high, blend until smooth. When using a handheld blend please ensure that the stockpot you use can withstand a few nicks here and there, if not carefully transfer the soup to a heat proof bowl to blend, transferring the soup back to the pot after blending. You may also use a standing blender, although this will require you to transfer the soup from pot to blender to container back to pot, blending in batches. 

Gently warm the soup, add salt and pepper, according to taste.

Serve hot with herbed crackers, crusty bread or buttery croissants.