Yoohoo

Hi!

I'm back...

Look, we all know this is a bit embarassing.

I mean, I kinda feel like the dog walking home with its tail between its legs after victoriously escaping through a hole in the fence (not that I'm calling you guys a fence).

But truth is, I couldn't stay away for long. I'm obviously a tad needy.  

Distancing myself from purpose-only cooking merely fueled the fire to cook more - the less I thought about what to make for dinner the more I wanted to explore new ideas and try these out.I think I needed to stop over analysing what next to do, how to write my next blogpost, what to cook and when and just let my head be alone for awhile.

As a welcome home to you (or me?) I bring you this soup.

This is not just any soup.

This is probably the greatest soup you will ever consume. Big statement I know, but would I lie?

Think: deliciously sweet slow roasted tomatoes, fire charred capsicum, oozy sticky garlic, fresh herbs whizzed up into a thick, warming liquid, topped with nutritious crunchy flaked almonds, seeds and gobful sized garlicy croutons.

Yeah. Eat it and I dare you to not feel good. The amount of nutritional goodness in your bowl can only mean great things.

Slow Roasted Tomato Soup

Makes a large pot

5 big vine ripened tomatoes - seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, and dried/fresh oregano

1 big red capsicum

5 cloves of garlic, whole

1 brown onion

1 tin tomatoes

Tiny pinch of cinnamon

Tiny pinch of smoked paprika

1 litre vegetable stock - lowsalt

A handful of basil and parsley

Salt and pepper

1 cup of a mixture of flaked almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds

A few slices/chunks of stale bread

Turn the oven onto 160 degrees Celsius. Lay some baking paper down on 2 baking trays. Grab the tomatoes, and cut them into quarters. Lay tomatoes on baking tray, drizzle with a nice slodge of olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Bake in the oven for about an hour/hour and a half until they are soft, plump, deflated wedges.

About half an hour into the cooking of the tomatoes, whack the whole garlic cloves into the oven.

Grab your capsium and turn on the flame on the gas burner on your stove top (if you don't have this type of stove top you can either make a makeshift fire in your backyard to roast the capsicum....or if you are after the safer and less environmentally abusive option place the capsicum whole in the oven with the tomatoes). Place the capsium on the open flame and leave until capsium is charred and blackened all over. Remove from flame and place in a small plastic bag, wrap it up tightly and leave aside to cool. When cooled slightly, remove the blackened skin off the capsicums and slice into chunks.

Thinly slice the brown onion and place in a deep saucepan, along with some olive oil and salt. Cook over  low medium heat until translucent and soft. Chuck in the capsicums and roasted tomatoes, and squeeze the garlic out of their skin into the saucepan too. Add in the cinnamon and smoked paprika and cook off for a few minutes.

Now add the tinned tomatoes and the vegetable stock and bring to the boil and cook until all ingredients are softened and falling apart.

Chuck in the fresh herbs and then with a hand held food processor, whiz up the soup - to achieve a smooth but chunky consistency. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about 10 mins.

Meanwhile, roast the seeds and almonds in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until golden. Rub down the bread with some garlic cloves and chuck in the oven too to get crunchy.

When ready to serve the soup, top with the roasted almonds, seeds and croutons, with a bit of chopped fresh herbs for good measure.