Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

I know that some of my friends planted both tomatoes and bell peppers so this recipe is especially for you! When September rolls around I start trying to use up the tomatoes that are ripening and this is a fantastic year for tomatoes. The plants I planted are absolutely loaded with them. If you didn't plant any that's okay make a trip to your favorite produce department or better yet to the farmer's market and buy some while they are so wonderful. This is the best time of year for both the peppers and the tomatoes.

Now for a little confession I don't even like tomato soup and I love this one,. It's that good. The roasted red peppers go a long way in the flavor and they are so easy to make.

You are in control of how smooth or chunky your soup is, I like mine to have some texture so I simply run the ingredients through the blender and then back to the soup pot. If you want it to be smoother feel free to use a strainer to get some of the texture out. For a truly smooth soup you would probably have to peel the tomatoes but I don't. Like I said I like a bit of texture and they do add a lot of nutrients to the soup.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

2 large red peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ pounds tomatoes, chopped (about 10 to 15 tomatoes depending on the variety)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I always use a mixed one)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Optional garnish: sprig of fresh oregano or basil

Preheat oven to 450.  Line a small baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray and arrange red pepper strips on it in a single layer. Roast the pepper strips for about 15 minutes until they are tender and start to brown.

Meanwhile in a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute the onions and garlic until soft (just sweat them don't brown) about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the onions and cook until tender. 

Process the tomato mixture with the chicken broth and the peppers in batches in the blender until smooth.

Return to soup pot and add the salt, pepper and dry herbs. Be sure to taste for seasoning levels. Stir in balsamic vinegar and serve.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh herb if desired.