Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

To me, this is the best tomato soup.  I’ve tried other recipes, including roasted tomatoes soup, but nothing beats the complexity this soup, thanks to the sweet grilled pepper and the tinge of spicy chili.  I make it every summer when great tasting tomatoes are abound.  I might try this again in winter using canned tomatoes just to see how it is.

As suggested in the book, I often pair this with mozzarella sandwich or just plain crusty bread.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

15 ripe plum tomatoes
3 medium red peppers
approx. 7 tbsp extra virgin oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh de-seeded red chilies
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs red wine vinegar, or to taste
chicken or vegetable stock to desired consistency, approx. 500 ml
2 good handfuls of fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Score tops of the tomatoes, blanch in boiling water for about 20 seconds or until you can remove the skins and de-seed. Sliced the peppers into manageable pieces and peel the skin.

Slice the red peppers into strips and put them on a roasting pan.  Roast until tender, about 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, and this is the original method, grill the peppers whole, rest in a covered bowl, then peel and finely chop them. Put the chopped peppers in a warmed, thick-bottomed pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the chopped red chilies. Add a pinch of salt and fry slowly for about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes with another pinch of salt and the red wine vinegar so that they sort of melt and infuse themselves together. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

In a pestle and mortar, smash the basil to a pulp with a pinch of salt. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Drizzle the mixture over the soup.

Adapted from: Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef