Roasted red pepper soup with spinach
Oh my goodness, such a luxuriously rich flavour in such a simple and healthy soup!
In this recipe, the vegetables are roasted to release their sweet juiciness to make a soup that's tempting yet deliciously healthy.
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1cm chunks3 red peppers, deseeded and diced6 tomatoes, cut into wedges4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 tsp smoked paprikaFreshly ground black pepper, to taste750ml low-salt vegetable or chicken stock1 tbsp tomato puree100g baby leaf spinach
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to180¡C/gas mark 4
Place the butternut squash, peppers, tomatoes and garlic into a large flameproof, lidded casserole. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over the paprika and plenty of black pepper. Place the lid on the dish and transfer to the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft and beginning to caramelise.
Place the dish on the hob and use a handheld stick blender or potato masher to break the vegetables down to a chunky texture (you want to retain some lumps). Add the stock and the tomato puree and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gentlyf or 5 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the spinach leaves and allow them to wilt down for a minute or so. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.
From The Bikini Promise, by Sally Bee. Published by Kyle Books, priced £14.99Photography by Clare Winfield