A gloriously simple soup to make, everything chopped up and splashed with olive oil in an earthenware dish with foil lid. Cherry tomatoes, red onion and red pepper liquidized with chicken or vegetable stock. What could be easier? Season it as you like; I added a squeeze or orange and hint of its zest. Sliced black olives, scraps of leftover chicken or white cheese and shredded basil are other good additions.
Serves 2
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
1 red pepper
1 red onion
20 cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
Turn the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Remove the pepper stalk, quarter lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Chop into small dice. Halve the onion, trim the ends and remove the skin. Cut into small dice. Place all the ingredients in an earthenware dish, cover with foil and put the dish in the oven without waiting for it to come up to heat. Cook for 35 minutes, check if onion and pepper are soft, the tomatoes squishy and if not, cook for a further 10 minutes or so until they are. Tip into the bowl of a food processor, add the stock and blitz for several minutes until thick and smooth. If liked, I didn’t bother, pass through a sieve to catch the pips. Heat through with a couple of swipes of zest on a microplane grater then add a squeeze of juice, about 1 tbsp. Simmer, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and squeeze of lemon.