BELL PEPPER, TOMATO AND BASIL SOUP

This soup is simple, light, flavorful and so good for you. It has a sweet and tangy taste. The roasted garlic and basil add wonderful depth. If you’ve never tried bell peppers as the main event in a soup, expect to be amazed.

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• .5 kg plum tomatoes
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 onion chopped
• ½ lemon
• 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
• Ground black pepper
• Coarse salt
• 4 tbsp. Fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp. grated orange peel
• Cilantro (for garnish)

• Preheat oven to 425; spray non-stick spray on cookie sheet
• Half tomatoes and peppers and place cut side up on cookie tray
• Scatter garlic and onion over peppers and tomatoes; drizzle olive oil and juice from lemon over mixture; sprinkle salt and pepper over all
• Roast until peppers are soft; about 1 hour
• Remove from oven
• Add basil, orange peel, vegetable broth and roasted mixture into blender and puree; do this in three batches
• Place pureed mixture in a soup to keep warm
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and garnish with cilantro

Enjoy!