Julie Le Clerc: Roast red pepper and tomato soup

Picture / Carolyn Robertson

Serves 6

3 red peppers, stalks and seeds removed
3 Tbs olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
10 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1 litre tomato juice
2 Tbs basil pesto
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Halve red peppers and place in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes tossing occasionally until soft and skin is blistered. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to cool. Once cold the skins can easily be removed. Discard the skins.

2. At the same time, heat a saucepan, add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes until onion has softened but not coloured. Add chopped tomatoes and sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Puree cold peppers and tomato mixture with tomato juice and pesto in a blender until smooth. This may need to be done in 2-3 batches. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chill well to serve.