recipe no. 9: roasted red pepper & tomato soup

this winter has been a season of soups. ever since i invested in my ninja blender, i've been experimenting creating my favorites from scratch at home. it's been unbelievably comforting to make these dishes and enjoy them with wine, wrapped in a blanket, at the end of a long and cold winter day.

for about a month, alex was requesting that i make tomato soup and grilled cheese. i've been really intimidated to try making this soup, but one night i finally got up the courage and made it, thanks to this recipe from minimalist baker. it was way easier than i was expecting, and it is my favorite soup that i've made so far. i think that even in the summer, i'll still want to make this! the flavor is super delicate and dynamic, and the longer you let it simmer the more deep and intense it gets. it's a pretty incredible process to witness (and taste test). today, we enjoyed it with a sliced baguette and some salami.

what you'll need:

• 2 large red bell peppers

• 1 28-oz can crushed or peeled tomatoes in juices

• 1 6-oz can tomato paste

• 1 cup water

• 1 14-oz can full fat coconut milk

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper

• 3-4 tbsp coconut sugar (i used sugar in the raw because i always have it on hand, and did 3 tbsp)

• can opt for a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little spice

• it also calls for 1 1/2 tbsp dried dill, but i don't like dill so i omitted it

what you'll do:

• preheat oven to 500 degrees

• roast red peppers on a foil lined baking sheet until tender and charred on all sides, about 15 minutes (mine take longer usually)

• wrap the peppers in the foil to steam for about five minutes

• while the peppers are roasting, combine all other ingredients to a large pot and bring to a simmer

• unwrap the peppers to let them cool

• once they are cool to the touch, remove the outer skin, seeds, and stem (i am way too impatient to completely peel the peppers. i promise it doesn't make that much of a difference. if you, too, should find yourself aggravated by the pesky skins just leave them be)

• slice them up and add them to the soup, giving them a few minutes to mingle with the other ingredients

• transfer to a blender and blend on low until everything is mixed together and creamy

• transfer back to the soup pot and simmer for at least ten minutes, tasting every so often to see if you need to add anything

• i added a lot of additional salt and pepper, and some garlic powder but not a lot