Roasted red pepper soup

serves 8

Ingredients:

10 red peppers

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

pinch of crushed hot pepper flakes

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 cups hot vegetable stock

large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the peppers in a roasting pan and coat with 1 tbsp of the oil, using your hands. Roast for 40 minutes or until soft. Transfer to plastic bags, knot, and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the skins and seeds and discard, then roughly chop the peppers, saving any juices.

2 Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy-basedsoup pot, add the onions, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add the roasted peppers and their juices, pour in the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until blended and smooth. Season to taste again with salt and pepper.

3 Let cool completely, then transfer to a freezerproofcontainer, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months.

4 To serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then transfer to a soup pot and heat until piping hot. Stir in the basil, drizzle with oil, and serve with some crusty bread.

Roasted red pepper soup