Red Pepper Tomato and Chilli Soup with Basil Pesto and Gruyere Crouton

I don’t often choose soup if I’m eating out but occasionally its great to have a warm bowl at home with some nice bread for dunking. This recipe makes enough for about 8 people.

You will need:

For the Soup:

1 Large Onion

Bulb of Garlic

5 Red Chillies

300g Vine Tomatoes

690g Passata

450g Roasted Red Peppers (buy them ready roasted in a jar)

500ml Veg Stock

300ml Chicken Stock (if you want the soup to be vegetarian just add more vegetable stock)

2 Tbs Tomato Puree

For the Pesto

50g Pine Nuts

80g Fresh Basil

50g Parmesan

150ml Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pinch of salt and pepper

1. First her the oven to around 150 degrees. Slice each tomato in half and place on a baking tray with the chillies and the whole bulb of garlic (wrap the garlic in tin foil and drizzle over a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Make sure each cut side of the tomato has a pinch of salt on a a little olive oil. Cook in the oven for around an hour. Take the garlic our after around 40 minutes
2. While the tomatoes are cooking finely dice the onion and gently sweat off in a little olive oil until they are soft and just beginning to colour.
3. Prepare your pesto by firstly lightly toasting the pine nuts in a dry pan then placing all the ingredients in a blender and pulsing until smooth.
4. Once the tomatoes and chillies are cooked take all the pulp from the garlic and the onion and place in a blender with the tomatoes and chilli. You can deseed the chillies of you don’t want quite as much heat. Add your roasted red peppers and blend until smooth.
5. Add the blended mixture back in to a large deep pan and add the tomato puree, passata and stock. Stir well and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Add some salt a pinch of sugar and some white pepper to taste.
6. To make your crouton toast one side on the mini baguette then cover with the grated gruyere and place back under the grill for a couple pf minutes. Finally scatter over a few finely chopped chives.
7. To serve carefully ladle in the soup to the bowl then drizzle a little of the pesto and some double cream. Finally top with the crouton]

Enjoy!